What You Already Know Pt 6: Lost City: Ship Ver
by MaureenT
Summary: The team is thrust into a race to find the Lost City before Anubis destroys Earth, but, even if they succeed, will all of SG1 survive or will one of them pay the ultimate price? S&D romance and J&J UST. COMPLETE! Note: Rating changed to M.
1. Chapter 1

**What You Already Know Part 6: Lost City (Ship Version)**

**Author:** MaureenT  
**Rating:** T  
**Categories:** Action/Adventure, Angst, Romance  
**Content Warning:** Mild Profanity, Violence, Adult Themes, Sexual Content  
**Spoilers:** Children of the Gods, Thor's Hammer, Serpent's Lair, Bloodlines, Cor-ai, Need, The Fifth Race, Legacy, Crystal Skull, New Ground, Crossroads, Chain Reaction, Ascension, 48 Hours, Smoke and Mirrors, Metamorphosis, Full Circle, Fallen, Orpheus, Lifeboat, Enemy Mine, Space Race, Inauguration, Lost City, New Order. Also reveals things from Affinity and Endgame.

**Author's Notes:** **This story contains a Daniel/Sam romance.** There is also a Gen version for those of you who don't want to read S/D Ship. This is the 6th story in a 7-part AU series covering many of the events of the latter half of the 7th season and the 8th season. **It is strongly recommended that you read the previous fanfics in this series first.**

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CHAPTER ONE

The voice on the phone was firm, the words spoken with a note if finality.

"Killing Doctor Jackson is not a step we are prepared to take."

Vice President Kinsey's temper began to rise. "Then you're all fools. He's as much a danger to you as he is to me. Who knows when one of his visions will reveal who all of you are and what your plans are?"

"If something happens that shows he poses an imminent threat, then we will take action, but, until then, it is in our best interests to leave him alone. Our goal is to destroy the Goa'uld, and Doctor Jackson is one of the greatest weapons Earth has against them. He's already taken out two of them with his abilities. Even before this happened, he was a valuable tool in the fight against the Goa'uld, but, now, he is the single most important person Earth has in this war. We'd be stupid to kill him and destroy that kind of weapon." The voice became threatening. "And let me make one thing clear, Kinsey. Your previous actions against Doctor Jackson were not condoned by us, and if you do something like that again, you will regret it. Even in your present position, you are expendable, more so than Doctor Jackson is."

That announcement made Kinsey's anger escalate into fury. How dare this man say that Jackson was more important than he was! He was the Vice President of the United States, in a position that might gain them control of the Stargate.

"And do not attempt to have him removed from the Stargate Program either," the man on the phone ordered.

Kinsey's temper continued to boil. "And the rest of SG-1?"

"We would prefer that they all remain where they are since they've been doing a pretty good job of fighting the Goa'uld so far, but if there is no other choice, you can have them removed. Just leave Jackson alone. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal," Kinsey ground out.

"See that you remember that."

The click and the silence that followed told the vice president that the man had hung up. Kinsey snapped the cell phone closed violently and began to pace. The idiots! Didn't they realize how dangerous it was to let Jackson keep living? A day did not go by that Kinsey didn't fear that the archeologist would find out everything.

And then there was the issue with Hayes. The president had spent a large portion of the weekend reading the copies of the reports from the SGC and had yet to say anything about getting a replacement for Hammond or removing SG-1 from the program. Kinsey had tried twice to talk to him about it but had been rebuffed both times.

The vice president was certain he had Jackson to blame for this as well. If the archeologist hadn't shown up and talked to Hayes, the president would surely have decided by now to clean house at the SGC.

Considering this latest conversation with his contact in the organization, Kinsey wasn't sure if they'd be prepared to have Hayes removed if he decided in favor of Hammond and SG-1. Yet, as long as Hammond was in charge of Stargate Command, they'd never have control of the gate. Surely, they must realize that getting Hammond out took precedence over everything else. And, despite what the organization thought, SG-1 was going to be nothing but trouble as long as they remained a part of the program.

As for Jackson, Kinsey knew that he didn't dare go against the wishes of the organization. He might be vice president now, but that wouldn't protect him from them if he crossed them. So he'd just have to leave things as they were with Jackson . . . at least for now.

Glancing out the window, Kinsey saw that the sun had set and darkness was descending. His impatience getting the better of him, he rose to his feet and headed to the Oval Office. Every day that Hammond and SG-1 were at the SGC was a day too long. It was time for the president to start doing something about it.

The vice president found Hayes in the private office that was off the Oval Office. The president was busy looking over some papers.

"Good evening, Bob," he greeted, glancing up.

Kinsey decided to get right to the point. "Mister President, I must insist that you tell me what your decision is about the situation at the SGC."

Hayes stared at him with a hard expression. "You insist? You still seem to be forgetting whose office this is, Bob."

Realizing that he needed to make an attitude adjustment, Kinsey changed his tone. "No, but, as vice president, I feel that I should be informed promptly about important decisions like this."

Hayes kept staring at him for a while longer. "Okay. I just made up my mind for sure a little while ago, but if you're so eager to know, I'm leaving things as they are for right now."

"What?! Even after all of the evidence that we presented to you against Hammond and SG-1?!"

"Actually, Bob, your evidence was pretty weak. Oh, there's no doubt that they made some mistakes, but, considering what they have to deal with on a daily basis, I think they've done a pretty damn fine job, better than most people in their situation could have. The few mistakes they did make certainly don't outweigh all of the ones they _didn't_ make and all the things this planet owes them. If I was to replace General Hammond, it wouldn't be for the few errors in judgment that he made, it would be because the political situation warrants having someone in that position who is not a member of the military."

Kinsey grasped at the straw that had just been handed to him. "Yes! You are right about the political advantages of having a civilian as the commander of the SGC, both domestically and internationally."

"Calm down, Bob. I said _if_ I was to replace Hammond, and that's not something I'm willing to do at this time. I feel that right now is not a good time to be cleaning house over there. In a few months--"

"A few months?!" Kinsey exclaimed. "Hammond or SG-1 could make a mistake that will blow everything up in our faces at any moment!"

Hayes shook his head. "Unlike you, Bob, I have some faith in their abilities. They've managed to keep things going for the past seven years. I can't see them screwing up that badly within the next few months."

"Mister President, I must ask that you reconsider."

"Ask all you like, Bob. My decision is final. Oh, and since I know that this is going to come up again sooner or later, no matter what I decide about General Hammond in the future, SG-1 is staying put. They are too valuable to lose, especially Doctor Jackson and his abilities."

Kinsey's eyes narrowed into a glare. "This is all because of Jackson, isn't it. What did he tell you when he was alone with you?"

"Let's just say that he gave me a little glimpse into the future and made me realize that the last thing I should do right now is hinder our ability to fight against the Goa'uld. SG-1 and Hammond are all needed right where they are."

Kinsey's head shook. "Jackson would say anything to keep his job and to protect his teammates and Hammond. I don't know what kind of bull he handed you, but you can't let it affect your judgment."

"Oh, I've been handed a lot of bull, Bob, and been lied to quite a bit, but not by him."

The hardness in Hayes' voice made Kinsey begin to wonder exactly what the president knew. "If he said anything against me--"

"He didn't say one word against you, or anyone else, for that matter, not during our private conversation. He'd already done a pretty good job of shooting you and Mister Woolsey down in flames when we were all together. Like I said, Bob, my decision is final. Until such time that _I_ decide to change things, everything at the SGC is staying the way it is. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to make another call to the ex-president of Togo."

Knowing that it would do no good to continue the argument, Kinsey left, thinking that another call to his contact in the organization was in order. As soon as he was back in his office, he placed the call.

"It's me again," he said to the man who answered. "We've got a problem. The president has decided not to remove General Hammond from the SGC."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "That's unfortunate."

"I assume we'll be carrying out the contingency plan?" Kinsey couldn't help but smile slightly as he thought about the fact that he was going to be president after all.

"No. There is another option available to us. We've already done the preliminary planning, so it won't take more than a day or two to implement."

"What are you talking about? You never told me about another option."

"Because it does not concern you. Do not try to contact me again. I will be unavailable for the next two or three days."

The man hung up before Kinsey got the chance to ask any more questions. Angered at being kept out of the loop, the vice president put the cell phone back in the drawer. Whatever this other plan was, the vice president figured that, sooner or later, the organization would agree to go ahead with the plan to get Hayes out of the way. Then Kinsey would take over and see to it that Hammond and SG-1 would never cause him problems again. And when that day came, he would make sure that Daniel Jackson was taken care of permanently, regardless of what the others wanted.

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Jack brushed the snow off his coat as he approached the first checkpoint in the mountain. It was a cold and miserable day, quite a change from the tropical paradise that SG-1 had been in yesterday. The mission had originally been assigned to SG-11, but a member of the team had come down with a bad case of the flu, and Janet grounded the rest of the team to make sure that none of the other had caught it as well. Jack had volunteered his team for the mission since he was in the mood to get out of the mountain, and he knew from the MALP telemetry that the area around the gate seemed quite pleasant. Now, he was wishing that the mission had lasted more than just a day. Another day or two on that warm stretch of beach would have been very welcome.

Jack also couldn't help but think that the romantic setting might have encouraged a certain twosome to take a step forward in their relationship. Jack had given up trying to get Daniel to ask Sam out. The archeologist was stubbornly refusing to take the chance of being rejected again. As for Sam, Jack still didn't know what her feelings were.

Quickly passing through all the checkpoints, Jack headed down into the lower levels of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. As he got off the elevator, he saw Daniel down the hall a few yards, walking in the opposite direction. Before he could call out, the archeologist waved a hand over his shoulder.

"Hey, Jack," he called and kept right on walking.

The colonel paused, shaking his head. He wasn't sure that he'd ever get used to Daniel's ability to sense and recognize the presence of others. It was just too weird.

"Hey, Daniel! Wait up!" Jack trotted down the hall to his friend, who had paused to wait for him.

"You just get here?" Jack asked him.

"A little while ago. The snow slowed me down a bit."

"Yeah, tell me about it. We've almost got a blizzard going on out there. You know, I was thinking that, what with all the stuff that's been going on, a bit of leave might be nice. That planet we were on yesterday was sweet."

Daniel looked at him. "Jack, considering how much it costs to dial up the Stargate, I seriously doubt that General Hammond would consider letting us take our leave off-planet again, that is if we were to take leave. I've got a lot of work piled up."

"You've always got work piled up, Daniel. So, we don't take the leave off-world. I bet we could find some warm, sunny, tropical paradise right here on Earth."

Daniel smiled slightly in amusement. "In the mood to get a tan, Jack?"

"Now that you mention it, I am looking a bit pale."

Daniel shook his head. "Jack, considering what's hanging over our heads, I really don't think that now is a good time for us to go anywhere. We have to focus our attention on finding the Lost City."

"Daniel, I know that finding the Lost City is important, but we can't put our lives on hold until we do."

The archeologist said nothing, his eyes on the floor.

Jack's gaze sharpened. "Is there something I should know about?"

Daniel lifted his head. "I had another dream."

"About?"

"I saw a fleet of Goa'uld ships, dozens of them. They were being led by Anubis."

"And where were they going?"

"I don't know. But you know that feeling I told you about, the feeling that something big is going to happen? It's getting stronger. I was considering asking General Hammond to contact the Tok'ra and find out if they'd heard about anything going on."

Jack knew that it would be downright stupid to ignore this feeling of Daniel's. If the archeologist sensed that there was a big badness looming on the horizon, they needed to pay attention to it. These months that had passed since all this started had proven that his sixth sense was _never_ wrong, and his visions always came true unless they took action to change the events shown.

"Okay, how about if we go see the general now? Just let me get changed."

Daniel waited in the locker room while Jack changed out of his civvies, then they went to Hammond's office. Daniel told the general about his most recent dream, about the dream he'd had of Earth's forces fighting Goa'uld ships, and about the feeling he had that something big was going to happen soon.

"I think that we should try contacting the Tok'ra," he said in conclusion. "It's possible that they might have heard something."

Hammond nodded. "We can try, but, as you know, ever since the Tok'ra ended the alliance with Earth, they've been a lot harder to contact and can sometimes take weeks to respond."

"I know, sir, but I think it's worth a try."

Just then, the phone on the general's desk rang. He excused himself and picked it up. After listening to the person on the other end for a moment, he frowned severely.

"How did this happen?" he asked. He was silent as the person replied. "And they just walked off with it? For a top security facility, your security leaves much to be desired." There was another long pause, then, "What?!"

The exclamation made Jack and Daniel glance at each other in concern.

"You should thank your lucky stars that they didn't succeed, Colonel, because heads would have rolled if they had gotten away with it," Hammond told the unfortunate person on the phone. "I want a copy of your report on my desk by end of day. And you had better hope that General Gonzales is in a good mood when you get hold of him." Hammond hung up the phone.

"Sir?" Jack inquired.

"There was an incident at Area 51. Someone attempted to steal Osiris' Al'Kesh."

"What?!" both Jack and Daniel exclaimed.

"It was by sheer luck that they failed. Unfortunately, they _did_ succeed in stealing the sarcophagus that had been on the ship."

"Uh oh. That's not good," Daniel stated.

"You see? I _told_ you that we should have kept them here rather than giving them to those guys at Area 51," Jack said. "They've got a bunch of idiots working over there."

Hammond gave a little sigh. "Right now, Colonel, I could almost agree with you. Unfortunately, we have no place here to keep a ship the size of an Al'Kesh. Also, as you know, the scientists were studying the Asgard beaming technology in an attempt to reverse engineer it."

"And the sarcophagus," Daniel murmured. Ever since he found out that the scientists at Area 51 were studying the technology of the sarcophagus in an attempt to figure out how it worked and make more of them, he had wished that he'd destroyed the thing when he had the opportunity. Having experienced personally what the sarcophagus could do to a person if used too often, he believed that it was one piece of technology that Earth was better off without, even if it could save lives. And, now, someone had stolen it. Daniel didn't want to think about what the people who took it might do with it.

"Any leads on who the people are that did this?" Jack asked.

"No. All of the men escaped, and nobody recognized any of them."

"It's them," Daniel said in a low voice.

Jack and Hammond looked at him.

"Them who?" Jack asked.

"The ones behind the Human/Goa'uld hybrid experiments conducted in Los Angeles."

"Are you certain of that, Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked.

"No, but it makes sense. These people were a part of the rogue NID group, who spent years stealing advanced technology off-world. Their primary purpose was to protect Earth against the Goa'uld, but there were also people involved whose motive was to make money from the technology that could be developed from the things stolen. There's no reason to believe that those two goals have changed. Think about how much money could be made from technology developed from the sarcophagus. And the Al'Kesh would be of immense use to them in fighting the Goa'uld. With it they could attack the Goa'uld directly. And if they took it to a planet with a Stargate. . . ."

"Then they could go just about anywhere in the galaxy," Jack finished, not liking the picture that was forming in his mind.

Hammond gave a nod. "I agree, Doctor Jackson. I'd say that your guess is right. Unfortunately, we still have no leads on who these people are, though the NID has been investigating the case since that incident in L.A."

Jack made a rude noise. "There are as many idiots in the NID as there are at Area 51. It's no wonder they haven't found these people yet."

"I need to call the president and tell him what happened," Hammond said. "I will let him know about our suspicions."

Daniel and Jack left Hammond's office, wondering what this unknown group would try next.

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Kinsey turned on the cell phone and saw that his contact had left him a text message with two words: "Call me." The vice president did so immediately.

"As you may already know, our plan did not succeed," the man said.

"Oh, I know, all right. Your bumbled attempt to steal the Al'Kesh has really turned up the heat. The president is determined to find out who was behind it. Why did you go after the Al'Kesh instead of moving forward with our other plan? With me in charge, you would have had access to both the Stargate and the Al'Kesh."

"We wanted to avoid the investigation of a presidential assassination, if at all possible. Such an investigation could be very dangerous for us. With the Al'Kesh at our disposal, we could have carried out our plans and left things as they are here on Earth for the present time."

"And now? Security at Area 51 has been doubled, and there are guards watching the ship at all times. You'll never get it now."

"We are unprepared to remove President Hayes at this time. However, it will likely become necessary eventually."

"Eventually? As long as Hayes is in office, you're stuck here on Earth, which really limits your ability to go after the Goa'uld."

"We are aware of that, Kinsey. You need to learn patience. When the time is right, we will take action. Until then, you are to wait. Do _not_ take any action on your own. I will contact you when I have information for you."

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Sam put her food tray on the commissary table and sat down beside Daniel. "So, I heard about what happened at Area 51. Thank goodness they didn't get the Al'Kesh."

"Yeah. It's bad enough that they got the sarcophagus."

"So, you think it was the same people who were behind that stuff in L.A.?"

Daniel nodded. "If they've still got contacts in the military and the NID, they'd have the ability to get past the security at Area 51."

"From what I understand, they used forged documents that said the sarcophagus was being transferred to the SGC."

"Forged documents. That sounds alarmingly familiar."

Sam realized what Daniel was talking about. The hit man who had been hired to kill him had gotten onto the base with fake documents and a phony military I.D.

"You think that Kinsey had something to do with the theft?" she asked.

"I don't know. We've already guessed that he's involved with this group. He may or may not have been directly involved with what happened at Area 51, although I think that Kinsey is mostly just interested in getting control of the Stargate. I can't think of any way that stealing the Al'Kesh and the sarcophagus would benefit him."

"Well, whatever was planned for the Al'Kesh, they're not going to get it now. It's under tight security."

"That's good." Daniel took a bite of his food, then looked at Sam. "So, what have you been up to today?"

"Oh, an excruciatingly boring project that, nevertheless, has to get done. I've been at it since Saturday, and I will be so glad when it's finished, which should be by tomorrow morning, if all goes well. So, what about you? You've been spending a lot of late nights here recently."

"Translations, translations and more translations. It seems like, lately, the SG teams have been delighting in bringing back all kinds of tablets, scrolls, manuscripts, etcetera, and I just keep getting further behind because of all the stuff that's been going on." His expression became thoughtful. "You know, I really miss the days when we'd go on missions, tangle with Goa'uld, fight Jaffa, destroy Goa'uld ships, blow up suns and planets, then come home to some peace and quiet. It isn't that way anymore."

Sam smiled. "No, it isn't. There's been as much stuff going on here lately as there has been out there."

"Jack thinks that we should all go vacationing on a tropical beach somewhere."

Sam's smile grew. "Ah. That planet was nice, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was."

"Actually, a little leave does sound great, but now is really not a good time to take it."

"That's what I told Jack. I also told him that I had another dream." Daniel recounted the vision and his feeling of impending trouble to Sam, who frowned in concern.

"That doesn't sound good," she said. Her gaze intensified. "Daniel, do you think that those ships you saw were heading here?"

"I honestly don't know, Sam. After Jack and I talked to the general, I tried to see something more, but didn't have any luck. If it makes you feel any better, I don't think that there is an armada of Goa'uld ships on their way to destroy Earth right at the present moment."

The two scientists fell silent.

"Jack said that we can't put our lives on hold until we find the Lost City, and I guess he does have a point," Daniel remarked after a moment. "All we can really do is just keep living day to day and wait to see what happens."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

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A lone Goa'uld reconnaissance drone floated up to the Stargate on a deserted world. Its mission was to find planets where there existed signs that the Ancients had once lived there. It had found no such evidence on this world. Perhaps the next planet would be different . . . or maybe the one after that.

* * *

Well, there you go, the first chapter of Part 6 of my series. This story is another long one, though not quite as long as Part 5. Some things will be happening in this part that will make many of you very happy. ;-)


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Daniel's gaze flitted across the images on the TV screen, scanning the rows and rows of carved text shown in the video. Earlier today, SG-2 had found the ruins of a monument on their mission and discovered that the colonnade was covered in Ancient text. Realizing the possible importance of the find, they had quickly taken videos and photos of the text and returned to the SGC. Everything was then passed on to Daniel. SG-3 had quickly been sent on a follow-up mission to make sure that there were no signs of Goa'uld or other dangers in the area. Since they would be covering a pretty large area, they weren't expected back until tonight.

The writing was in a dialect of Ancient that Daniel had never encountered before, so it was taking him longer to translate it. Because of this, it was going to take a while to finish, but he was determined not to stop until it was done . . . or until someone made him go home, whichever came first.

The linguist was so engrossed in the translation that he didn't feel the presence of the person who was approaching until they were almost at the door.

"Hey, Sam," he said, not turning around.

"Hi," she responded, coming up to his desk. She looked at the TV. "Is that the footage SG-2 took on P3X-439?"

"Yes, and from what little I've translated so far, I think that it might have some valuable information. There are some references to knowledge and learning. But it's going to take a while to translate it all." Daniel smiled. "I'm foreseeing another late night in store for me."

Something that almost looked like disappointment flickered through Sam's eyes for the tiniest of moments.

"You really shouldn't spend so many late nights here, Daniel." She smiled a little. "People will begin to think that you have no life outside the program."

Daniel let out a snort. "I _don't_ have a life outside the program, Sam. You know that." He wanted to add that he wished he did have a life outside the program, a life with her, but that would be too pushy and probably make her uncomfortable.

To Sam, that statement was the perfect lead-in to asking Daniel out on a date, and she was just about to do that when he continued speaking.

"You are right about all the late nights, though, and, normally, I might take your advice, but the possibility that the president might at any moment replace Hammond and shut down the gate for three months makes it especially important that anything to do with the Ancients is investigated as promptly as possible. For all we know, this," he waved his hand at the screen, "might contain what we need to find the Lost City."

Sam sighed inwardly, knowing that Daniel was right. Anything to do with the Ancients was too important to delay for the sake of a date.

"Well, just don't skip any meals, all right?" she said. "You know how cranky Janet gets if she suspects that you're not eating properly."

"No need to remind me about that." Daniel smiled, his eyes dancing with amusement. "So, I heard about this bet you made with Jack. Sounds like a sucker bet to me."

Sam sat in a chair. "Hey, it wasn't my idea. He challenged me, so I challenged back. I have to say that it will be interesting to see how well he does on that crossword." She pointed at him. "And don't you help him, Daniel."

"Okay, I won't, though I don't know how much help I'd be with that crossword puzzle anyway. Most of the questions are to do with physics and astronomy, right? Not exactly my strong suits."

"Oh, please, Daniel. You may not be a physicist or an astronomer, but if I had that bet with you, there's a very good chance that I'd lose. That gigantic vault you call a brain has a hell of a lot stored in it, and not just stuff to do with archeology, anthropology and languages."

A little embarrassed by the compliment, Daniel didn't reply.

Sam got to her feet. "Well, I'd better let you get back to work. Talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Daniel turned his attention back to the images on the screen, once more immersing himself in the language of the Ancients, hoping that he'd find what they needed to learn the location of the Lost City.

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Janet glanced up from the chart she was reading to see Sam come into the infirmary.

"Hi, Sam."

"Hi."

The lack of enthusiasm in Sam's greeting made the doctor look at her more closely. "What's wrong?"

The astrophysicist glanced about. "Do you, um, have time to talk?"

"Sure. Come on."

The two women went to Janet's office.

"Okay, so what's the problem?" the doctor asked.

Sam plopped down in a chair. "Do you ever get the feeling that someone is playing a colossal joke on you?"

"Um . . . no, I can't say that I have. Why? What's going on?"

"Do you have any idea how many times I've tried to ask Daniel out? Five times, Janet! Five times. And, every time, I either got interrupted or something made it necessary for me to put it on hold." She held up a finger. "Time Number One, Daniel nearly gets blown up right before my eyes." A second finger was lifted. "Time Number Two, the New Year's Eve party." Up went a third finger. "Number Three, I actually managed to get most of the sentence out when there's an announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation." Sam raised yet another finger. "I didn't even come close with Number Four. While on the way to his office, I run into him in the elevator and find out that he's leaving, heading out of town for something." Sam didn't explain further. No one but she and her teammates knew about Daniel's trip to DC.

Janet smiled slightly. "And Number Five?"

"Oh, that one just happened a few minutes ago. I was all prepared to ask him, and he tells me that he's going to be staying late tonight to work on the translation of the Ancient text SG-2 found on their mission."

"You should have asked anyway."

"And I almost did, but then Daniel talked about how vitally important it is that anything to do with the Ancients be investigated as soon as possible. And he's right. This is too important to put on hold because of a date." Sam sighed in exasperation. "You know, having the fate of the entire planet in your hands can be a real drag sometimes."

Janet's smile grew. "It does sound as if fate isn't giving you a break about this."

"No, it's not, and I just _know_ that, somewhere, somebody is laughing their head off."

"So, when are you going to try again?"

"I don't know. I guess it all depends on how long the translation takes. The funny thing is that I can ask him if he wants to go to lunch with me somewhere off-base, and nothing gets in the way." An idea came to Sam. "Hey, maybe that's it. I can ask if he'd like to have lunch with me off-base and then ask him for a date while we're eating. That might work."

"It's worth a try. At least you wouldn't have to worry about gate activation announcements."

Sam nodded. Then her expression changed. "Although, with my luck, someone will lose control of their car and drive it right through the restaurant window just as I'm getting ready to ask the question."

Janet chuckled. "Cheer up, Sam. This can't keep going on forever."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you."

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The sound of an alarm awoke Daniel. He lifted his head and looked blearily at his computer, which was the source of the annoying noise. A glance at his watch told him that the three hours of sleep time that he'd allowed himself had passed.

With a groan, Daniel arose from the cot, scrubbing a hand over his face. After silencing the alarm he'd set his computer to give, he went to the coffee pot. Seeing that it was virtually empty, he set about making a fresh pot. As the machine busily did its job of making the vitally needed liquid, Daniel headed to the locker room for an equally needed shower.

Despite Sam's lecture yesterday, he had ended up spending the whole night on base, the only sleep he got being the three-hour nap he'd just taken on the cot he kept in his office for such occasions. The reason for the all-nighter was what happened during SG-3's follow-up mission to P3X-439. While returning from their recon of the area, the team had spotted a Goa'uld reconnaissance drone investigating the monument. SG-3 remained out of sight until the drone had left, then hurried back through the gate.

The presence of the drone meant that Anubis might be heading for the planet at any moment, making it even more vital that Daniel complete the translation and find out if it said something about the Lost City. The fact that Anubis would probably send ships rather than use the Stargate would give them a little time, but there was no telling how much.

The shower helped to clear some of the cobwebs from his mind. The coffee would remove the rest. Hair still damp, Daniel returned to his office and made a beeline for the coffeemaker. Smothering a yawn, he poured himself a cup of the brew, then returned to his desk.

It was about an hour later when Daniel read a passage that banished any lingering sleepiness and had him sitting up straight in his chair. He read it over twice more to make sure he hadn't made a mistake.

Realizing the significance of what he'd just read, the archeologist quickly typed up a brief report on his translation, knowing that General Hammond would need one before he'd approve a mission. Once it was done and printed out, he reached for the phone and dialed Jack's cell phone, figuring that the colonel probably wasn't in yet. After several rings, Jack picked up.

"What?" he answered curtly.

"Jack, I've been translating the Ancient writing on the colonnade SG-2 discovered on P3X-439."

"Daniel, I'll be there in half an hour."

Ignoring the statement, Daniel continued. "It talks about a library of knowledge, Jack. I think the monument contains a repository of the Ancients."

"Repository you say."

"Yeah, you know. That . . . that thing that grabbed your head, made you talk crazy, nearly killed you."

"Well, it sounds like we should stay away, then."

"Well, uh . . . I mean, considering what we know now, we should be able to find another way to access the information," Daniel quickly countered. "Sam's been able to use Tok'ra crystals to-to-to find a way to transfer all kinds of different energies. I mean, it's worth a try, Jack. It might lead us to the Lost City, and you know how important that is. We should go there as soon as possible."

"Yeah?"

Daniel was getting the tiniest bit irritated. It was as if Jack wasn't even listening to half of what he was saying. And he had just heard an odd sound coming from the phone, almost like running and sloshing water. What was Jack doing?

"So?" he said.

"I'll be there in half an hour," the colonel repeated.

Good. That would give him just enough time to talk to Hammond and arrange for a briefing on the mission. "Okay, bye."

"No, no, no, wait. Don't . . . don't hang up. I need a seven-letter word."

Daniel sighed inwardly. "I told Sam I wouldn't help you."

"Well, then this will be the one thing she doesn't know. Up, down, charmed, blank."

"Strange," Daniel answered without hesitation, knowing that the clue was referring to different types of quarks.

"Yeah . . . well, thanks anyway."

Realizing that Jack had misunderstood, Daniel said, "No, the word you're looking for is 'strange'. They're types of. . . . Hello? Jack?" Getting no answer, the archeologist hung up the phone. "Oh, well. I wasn't supposed to be helping him anyway."

Shoving his report into a file folder, Daniel headed to Hammond's office. He explained to the general what he had discovered, stressing that they really needed to go to the planet right away.

"I've already talked to Jack about it, and he said he'd be here within half an hour," he said.

"And he agreed to the mission?" Hammond's questioned.

"That's what it sounded like to me, sir."

Hammond nodded. "Very well, then. I will read over your report and let you know my decision. If I approve the mission, I will assign two other SG teams to go with you. SG-3 has been on the planet before, so they know the lay of the land, and I believe that SG-5 is clear for a mission today. We'll brief as soon as Colonel O'Neill arrives."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

After leaving the general's office, Daniel went straight to Sam's lab. He told her about what he'd found and let her know about the possible mission.

"And the colonel knows about the drone SG-3 spotted?" she asked.

"Um, no, I forgot to tell him that part. We can fill him in when he gets here. So, do you think there's any chance that you'll be able to download the data with the Tok'ra crystals?"

"I honestly don't know. It's possible, but we are talking about Ancient technology here. I may not be able to get a proper interface. All I can do is try."

"I can't tell you how important this is, Sam. Think of it, having access to all that knowledge."

Sam's expression told him that she _was_ thinking about it. "I know. It would be incredible."

"And not just because it might give us directions to the Lost City."

The astrophysicist nodded.

"Maybe I'd be able to help somehow," Daniel mused, his expression thoughtful.

"How?"

"I was just thinking about what happened with that healing device. If I really can control Ancient technology, we might be able to use that in some way."

Sam shrugged. "I suppose it's possible. It all depends on if there is another way to turn the unit on."

"You mean besides sticking your head in it. I'd really rather avoid that."

"Yeah, me too. The last thing we need is to have that happen again." Just then, Sam thought of something. "Maybe we should contact the Asgard, just in case."

"Good idea."

Hammond agreed that getting hold of the Asgard would be a wise move and said that he'd take care of it. After Sam hung up the phone, Daniel called the guard at the final checkpoint and told him to let Jack know that he was wanted in the briefing room.

At the time that Jack was supposed to get there, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c went down to Level 28. They checked with the control room and learned that, so far, Thor had not responded to their attempts to contact him.

Daniel looked at his watch. "Jack's late."

"Just a few minutes," Sam said. "He might have been delayed. Come on. Let's go wait for him at the elevator."

The three members of SG-1 went to the elevator. The minutes continued to tick by with no sign of Jack.

"Are you sure he said half an hour?" Sam asked Daniel.

"Positive. He said it twice."

More minutes passed as the three teammates began to grow impatient. Well, _two_ of them did. There was some question of whether or not Teal'c was even capable of getting impatient.

"This is ridiculous," Sam stated. "He's almost half an hour late."

"Perhaps O'Neill was delayed," Teal'c suggested.

"Yeah, he probably decided to stop and get donuts or something," Daniel muttered.

Sam frowned. "I think I'd better let General Hammond know that we're still waiting." She went to a phone and called the general's office. Hammond wasn't happy about the colonel's tardiness, but simply told the major to get to the briefing room as soon as Jack arrived.

It was just a couple of minutes later that Jack finally arrived. Daniel tapped meaningfully on the face of his watch. The colonel looked at his teammates in surprise.

"How long have you been waiting there?" he asked.

"You said half an hour an hour ago," Daniel responded in irritation.

"General Hammond's waiting," Sam added.

Jack walked up to them and handed the major a crossword puzzle with a flourish. "Excuse me," he said with a smug smile as he squeezed between her and Daniel and headed toward the briefing room.

"The fate of the world is hanging in the balance, and you've been sitting in your truck, finishing this?" Sam asked in disbelief, walking beside her C.O.

Totally ignoring her disgust, Jack responded, "I believe it was double or nothing."

Sam's irritation went up a notch. She looked back down at the crossword. "Okay. Twenty-three across, the atomic weight of boron. The answer is ten."

"Yes?"

"You wrote the word 'fat'." Sam folded up the crossword and handed it back to Jack.

"Your point?" he asked, snatching the piece of paper from her hand.

_'Oh, brother,'_ Sam said to herself.

As they entered the briefing room, Major Harper was laughing about something. He was standing beside Colonel Reynolds. The two men turned around and looked at SG-1.

"Harper, Reynolds," Jack greeted.

"Sir," the major responded.

"Jack," Reynolds said.

Everyone walked over to the table.

"SG-3 spotted a Goa'uld reconnaissance drone while on the planet where they found the colonnade," Sam told Jack. "Since that obviously means the Goa'uld were aware of its existence, SG's 3 and 5 will be providing backup, if General Hammond approves the mission."

"What mission?" Jack asked, trying to figure out what was going on. When Daniel called him this morning, he hadn't been paying all that much attention to what the archeologist was saying, his mind focused on doing the crossword puzzle and shaving at the same time. In fact, he hadn't even heard everything Daniel said because he'd gotten shaving cream on the phone and had to wash it off. Now, he was beginning to realize that not paying attention had been a mistake. Apparently, they were now going on a mission that he knew next to nothing about.

General Hammond came in. "Good morning, SG-1." He looked at Jack. "Nice of you to join us."

"Good morning, Sir," Jack greeted.

Everyone took their seat.

Hammond turned his attention to Jack. "I've read Doctor Jackson's report on his translation. Given what happened the last time you encountered something like this, I'm surprised you're so willing to take on this mission."

"So am I, sir," Jack responded, still in the dark.

"Jack?" Daniel said.

"Daniel?"

"Why wouldn't we want to gain access to the greatest repository of knowledge in the known universe, once and for all find the Lost City of the Ancients, and use their advanced technology to save the entire galaxy from the evil oppression of the Goa'uld?"

"Well, there's that," Jack replied after a short pause.

"From the mission file I've read, it's one of those things that whips up from the wall, grabs your head and rearranges your brain, right?" Reynolds asked.

"Sort of," Daniel answered.

"Sort of?"

"It basically downloads the entire library of the Ancients' knowledge into a person's mind," Sam explained. "That massive amount of data then slowly unspools into your brain, eventually taking over your consciousness completely."

"Except it wasn't meant for a physiology as primitive as ours," Daniel added.

_'Hey! Who're you calling primitive?'_ Jack objected in his mind. "Easy, fella," he said aloud.

Daniel put up his hand and mouthed, "Sorry."

"I thought the report said you almost died last time, sir," Harper said, which earned him a long look from Jack.

"The Asgard were able to remove the information from O'Neill's mind before he was lost to us," Teal'c stated.

"So why don't we just shoot Thor a call, get him standing by as backup?" Jack suggested.

"We tried, sir," Sam told him. "He's not responding."

"None of our alien allies have been particularly reliable of late," Hammond stated. "Should something happen again. . . ."

Daniel quickly jumped in. "General, no one's saying that anyone should directly interface with the device. We're suggesting that it be extracted and brought home for study."

"The engineering team that studied the last one of these devices you found determined nothing after six months of research."

"We believe that that device's power source was depleted when Colonel O'Neill activated it," Sam explained. "Besides, if Daniel really is able to control Ancient technology as we suspect he can, it's possible that he will be able to turn the repository on without anyone actually interfacing with it."

"Oh, I don't know if I like the sound of that," Jack said. "What if it beams all that stuff out into the brains of whoever is close to it?"

"I really don't think that would be possible, sir," Sam replied. "Judging by what happened to you and what you described seeing, I believe that the device somehow downloads its information via a link with the brain through the optic nerves. That's why it, um, grabbed your head like that and held on."

"Oh, you would have to remind me about that, wouldn't you."

Sam gave him a look of apology. "Sorry, sir."

"Regardless, this is too important to pass up," Daniel insisted.

Hammond nodded slightly and turned to Jack. "Recent intel suggests that Anubis has become a serious threat to dominate the rest of the Goa'uld in a very short time. We have to consider Earth is at risk now more than ever, especially taking into consideration the ominous visions Doctor Jackson has been having. If the knowledge contained within this device can lead us to technologies we can use to defend ourselves, we must pursue it."

Jack looked at Daniel. "Why didn't you just say that?"

"Sorry," the archeologist responded.

"You have a go," the general told everyone. "And be careful, people."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Half an hour later, SG's 1, 3 and 5 stepped through onto the planet. Jack ordered Reynolds to set up a defense perimeter and hold the gate with his men and SG-5. SG-1 then went to the monument, which was visible a short distance away.

Once they arrived, they spent hours visually searching every foot of the structure that they could reach for some sign of a repository, but found nothing. There appeared to be no interior to the monument, no doors or openings of any kind, and the repository had not come popping out of the wall anywhere. Thinking that it might be in one of the other structures in the area, they had investigated them as well, but still found nothing. Jack had begun to think that Daniel was wrong about there being a repository on the planet, but the archeologist was positive he was not mistaken and decided to see if he could find a clue in the writing on the colonnade. He'd been at it for about fifteen minutes when Jack spoke up.

"You know, we've searched this place up and down."

"I know," Daniel responded.

"We could have Goa'uld on our collective asses any minute now."

Daniel poked his head round one of the columns and looked at him. "I know." He resumed reading, and, at last, found something. "According to the text on this column, it's inside."

"Inside you say." Jack rose to his feet and walked toward Daniel. "Well, let me tell you, my friend. There is no 'inside'. There's just a whole lotta outside." He swept his arm outward, gesturing at the scenery.

Daniel did not lift his eyes from his notes. "I know."

Sam ran a scanner over a part of the wall opposite from the column Daniel was reading. "I'm getting some strange readings coming from here."

A second later, Daniel figured it out. "If I'm right. . . ." He pressed a symbol on the column, then another one.

The familiar shape of a repository abruptly appeared out of the wall right in front of Sam, who jumped back, as did Jack.

"Look out," Jack warned.

Daniel turned to look at the device. "Eureka," he murmured.

Jack got on the radio and contacted Reynolds, telling him that they found something. He and the rest of his team then just stared at the repository, none of them wanting to get any closer to it.

"Now we just have to figure out how to get this thing out of the wall," Sam said.

Not surprisingly, it was Daniel who chose to be the first one to approach the device. As he drew close to it, the repository extended out of the wall further and lit up, causing Daniel to quickly move back.

"Damn," Jack cursed.

Sam grabbed Daniel's arm. "Careful."

"All right, one more time. Why are we doing this? Why?" Jack wanted to know, thinking that they all needed to have their heads examined--and _not_ by that thing on the wall.

All at once, Daniel's gaze jerked upward toward the ceiling. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh? What 'uh oh'?" Jack asked.

"We've got company."

Not even two seconds had passed when Reynold's voice came over the radio. "SG-1, we have incoming."

Moments after that, two death gliders became visible, heading straight toward the monument, the weapons of the lead glider firing. They passed overhead, preparing to make another run.

"All right, let's go," Jack ordered, moving to the edge of the monument in preparation to make a run for the gate.

"Jack, we can't just leave," Daniel told him.

"Daniel," Jack said, not in the mood to hear it.

"We must not allow this device to fall into the hands of Anubis," Teal'c stated.

Not at all happy with the delay, Jack said, "Fine." He strode back to the repository and affixed an explosives pack to the wall beside it.

"Jack!" Daniel yelled in objection.

"Sir, he's right," Sam told the colonel. "If we destroy it, we lose our only chance to find the location of the Lost City."

"O'Neill," Teal'c called, drawing their attention. They all looked to see an Al'Kesh bearing down on them.

"Ah, crap!" Jack cursed. "All right, then, what?" he asked Daniel and Sam, wanting to know what they were all supposed to do.

His gaze focused on the ground, the thought went through Daniel's mind that there was only one alternative. One of them would have to interface with the repository. Knowing that he might be condemning himself to death yet also knowing that he might be the one with the best chance for survival, Daniel chose himself.

Decision made, the archeologist rushed toward the device. Yet, as fast as he moved, Jack moved equally as fast and grabbed hold of him, trying to push him back.

In the instant of contact, a scene flashed through Daniel's mind of his friend interfacing with the device. It was immediately followed by an image of a dying Jack losing consciousness as he succumbed to the damage being wrought by the download.

Realizing what the vision was telling him, Daniel's will hardened. _'No, not this time.'_

Using his telekinetic ability to give him more strength, Daniel pushed Jack aside and covered the rest of the distance to the repository. He ripped off his glasses and thrust his head toward the glowing opening.

Horrified, Daniel's teammates watched as the device grabbed hold of him.

"Daniel!" Jack and Sam cried.

Powerless to stop what was happening, Daniel's teammates stood witness as the archeologist, held captive by the device, was forcefully given all of the knowledge of the Ancients. Only when the Al'Kesh flew by, its bombs coming dangerously close, did their attention waver from their friend.

Long moments later, the device released Daniel. His teammates leapt forward as he fell to the ground.

"Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c exclaimed.

"Dammit, Daniel," Jack cursed under his breath. He looked at his other teammates. "We have to get him out of here and back to the base."

Jack and Teal'c got the barely conscious archeologist to his feet and half-dragged him away from the monument, heading back toward the gate.

"Carter, blow that damn thing to hell," the colonel said through his teeth.

"Yes, sir," she responded, all too happy to comply. She pulled out a remote and, the moment they were far enough away, hit the button. The sound of an explosion heralded the destruction of the repository.

"SG-1? Where the hell are you guys?" Reynolds demanded to know. "We can't hold out for long."

"We're heading back to the gate now, Colonel," Sam told him.

Moving as quickly as they could, SG-1 headed toward the gate, Jack and Teal'c still supporting a semi-conscious Daniel.

As they approached the Stargate, Reynolds and one of the other men hurried forward.

"What happened?" the colonel asked.

"No time to explain," Jack answered. There would be time for that later.

Just then, Daniel regained full consciousness. "What . . . what happened?" he asked, confused.

Jack was about to tear into him when a shout of warning from Sam made everyone turn. One of the gliders was heading straight toward them.

"Go, go, go!" Jack yelled.

Everyone dashed to the gate. SG-1 hurried through first, SG's 3 and 5 following on their heels.

Hammond was waiting at the bottom of the ramp. "What happened?" he asked.

"Ummm. . . ." Daniel began, not quite knowing how to break the news.

"Didn't quite go according to plan, sir," Jack stated, clearly not at all happy.

"We need to get Daniel to the infirmary," Sam told the general.

"I'm afraid I did it this time, sir," Daniel said.

It took a moment for Hammond to realize what the archeologist's statement meant. When it did, a feeling of dread filled him. He watched as the three SG teams left the gate room, only just then noticing that one of the men was limping and being helped by another.

Knowing that there was nothing more he could do at the moment, the general headed to his office, wondering what they were all going to do now.

--------------------------------------------------

On the way to the infirmary, Daniel's teammates didn't say a word, but they didn't have to. He knew that they weren't happy about what he'd done. That was especially true for Jack, who was fairly radiating anger. Knowing that now was not the time to explain his actions, Daniel kept silent.

Unfortunately, the silence ended once they got to the infirmary and Janet was told what happened.

Ordering the archeologist to go to one of the exam tables, she told the rest of SG-1 and the other uninjured SG team members to go get their post-mission physicals. The man who had been hurt was taken over to another exam table.

Daniel sat in silence, waiting for Janet to come over and give him a piece of her mind. He didn't have long to wait.

"Would you mind telling me what you thought you were doing?" she asked.

The archeologist sighed. "I had no choice, Janet. There was no time to remove the repository, and if we destroyed it without getting the knowledge, I knew that our only hope of finding the Lost City would likely be gone."

Janet shook her head. "You still shouldn't have done it, Daniel. Frankly, I'm surprised that Colonel O'Neill didn't stop you."

"Oh, he tried, but. . . ."

"But?"

"But I forced the issue," Daniel finished in a low voice.

Janet stared at him closely. "What aren't you saying, Daniel?"

The archeologist shook his head. "Let's just say that I realized it was going to be a choice of him or me, and I chose me."

"You mean that, if you hadn't done it, the colonel would have?"

Daniel sighed again. "Yeah."

Janet fell silent. She then got busy with the exam, not the least bit surprised that Daniel had made the decision he did.

--------------------------------------------------

"How the hell did this happen?" Hammond asked Jack, Sam and Teal'c as he came into the briefing room.

"It wasn't an accident, sir," Sam told him.

"He did it deliberately," Jack growled.

"In order to access the knowledge of the Ancients," Teal'c stated.

Sam decided that, in defense of Daniel's actions, she needed to explain the situation. "We were afraid that we'd never get another shot at finding the Lost City, and I guess Daniel thought it was the only option. We know from experience that the Ancient knowledge will essentially overwrite his brain. He was probably hoping . . . we're _all_ hoping that, during the transformation process, he'll become aware of the information we're looking for."

"And then it will overwhelm his nervous system, and Doctor Jackson will--"

The entrance of Daniel into the room halted Hammond's voice.

"Die," the archeologist finished calmly. After a slight pause, he added, "Maybe."

"You should be in the infirmary, Daniel," Sam said, not even attempting to hide how upset she was.

Daniel gazed at her. "Why, Sam? We've all got a pretty good idea what's going to happen over the next few days. What would be the point in spending that time in the infirmary?"

Sam's eyes fell from his. She didn't want him to see her anguish.

"Yeah, and we'd all like to know what the _hell_ you were thinking when you stuck your head in that thing!" Jack shouted. He was upset and scared, and, as usual, he was expressing it with anger.

"I didn't think there was another choice, Jack," Daniel told him. "Finding the Lost City is too important to throw away a chance like that. Besides. . . ."

"Besides what, Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked gently.

"Okay, we know that, according to Thor, I am genetically closer to being like the Ancients than any other human being. We also know that my brain has been physically mutated in such a way that it makes it possible for me to do all these things I can do. On top of that, I am apparently able to control Ancient technology. Taking all that into consideration, it might be possible that I'm more equipped to handle the download."

A look of realization and hope dawned across Sam's face. "You may be right, Daniel. I didn't even think of that. Your present physiology might enable you to handle that massive amount of data."

"So, what does this mean, that Daniel won't start spouting off words in Ancient and doing crazy things?" Jack asked, afraid to get his hopes up.

"I don't know, sir. It's still going to be difficult for his brain to assimilate and make sense of that much information coming that quickly. He may still have trouble keeping it under control."

"Uh huh." Jack turned back to Daniel. "Which leads us to another very important question. Who the hell is going to translate if you go Ancient?"

"Well, unlike you, Jack, I will actually understand most of what I'm saying when I say it," the linguist replied. "So, in the beginning, I can translate for myself. If I get to the point where I can no longer speak or even write English, I have been teaching Ancient to some of the people on my staff. None of them are very proficient yet, but then _I_ don't even know what some spoken words in Ancient mean, and I'm the number one expert on the planet. My knowledge of the spoken language has been pieced together from what I know of Medieval Latin, what I learned from you when you had the Ancients' knowledge, and from sketchy memories of the language from when I was ascended. There are still a lot of holes."

Daniel turned to the general. "Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like to take the weekend off. There are some things I want to take care of."

"Of course, Son," Hammond responded in a gentle voice. "You take all the time you need."

"Thank you, sir. I'll be back Monday morning. Now, if you will excuse me, there are a couple of projects I want to finish before I go home."

Hammond nodded. "Dismissed."

Daniel went to his office, knowing it was only a matter of time before one or more of his teammates would show up. His money was on Jack being the first.

It was too bad that he hadn't actually made a bet with someone since, if he had, he'd have won. Not ten minutes later, Jack came walking in. The colonel made a big production of shutting the door.

"Uh oh," Daniel said, knowing what that meant.

Jack glared at him. "Uh oh is right." Then he exploded. "Dammit, Daniel! Of all the stupid, harebrained, impulsive, foolhardy things you've done, I think this just about tops them all! I don't care if you thought that this was our only chance to find the Lost City. I don't care if you thought that there was some chance you might actually be able to survive this. You had no business doing what you did!"

"And you would have?"

Daniel's question caught Jack by surprise. "What?"

"I saw what would have happened if I hadn't interfaced with the repository, Jack. I saw _you_ do it."

That doused Jack's anger. "I stuck my head in that thing?"

Daniel nodded.

Jack stared at him. "That's why you pushed me out of the way and did it even after I tried to stop you. You saw that, if you didn't do it, I would have."

Daniel said nothing, merely looking into his friend's eyes.

"You should have let me be the one," Jack said.

"And let you die instead of me? I told you before, Jack. I would never want that. I would never allow it to happen if I could stop it. We both know that, if it had been you, unless we could get hold of the Asgard, you would have died. With me, maybe I'll have a better chance."

Jack met his gaze. "And what if it doesn't work out?"

"If this enables us to find the Lost City and gets us the weapons we need to protect Earth and defeat the Goa'uld once and for all, it will be worth it."

"Maybe to Earth, Daniel, but not to us," Jack told him quietly. "Not to _me_."

Daniel's gaze dropped from his. "Jack. . . ."

"I know, Daniel. You did what you have always done, chosen yourself to be the one to pay the price, to make the sacrifice. But I'm not willing to accept that sacrifice. I don't care what I have to do, but, one way or another, I'm going to fix this, even if I have to hijack the damn Prometheus and go planet to planet looking for the Asgard."

Daniel smiled a little at that. "You'd need someone to help you fly it."

"True. Got anyone in mind?"

"I wouldn't mind a little vacation touring the galaxy. It wouldn't be the same as a tropical beach, but it might be nice."

"You got it. Carter and Teal'c can come along, too. We'll make it a team get-together."

"Sounds good."

The two men grew quiet.

"I've, uh . . . I've got some things I need to get done," Daniel said after a moment.

"Okay." There was a pause. "You, um . . . need any help with anything?"

Surprised at the question, Daniel looked at Jack. "No, but thank you for asking. I just have some work to finish, a couple of translations."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I'll . . . I guess I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah."

After Jack left, Daniel attempted to get busy on the translations. It wasn't long before Sam came to see him.

"Daniel, I. . . ." Her voice trailed off helplessly. She just didn't know what to say.

Daniel gave her a tender smile. "I know, Sam." His smile got a little bigger. "Don't give up on me yet. I've managed to pull quite a few lives out of my hat so far. This could be Number Six. Or is it seven? I'm beginning to lose count."

Sam choked on a little laugh, wiping away a tear that was threatening to fall. "You're right. Judging by your track record, we haven't a thing to worry about."

"Exactly."

They both fell silent.

"It should have been me," Sam finally said.

"No! God, don't say that, Sam," Daniel exclaimed, upset that she would even think that.

"But it's true. Between the two of us, you are needed here so much more than I am."

Daniel was getting angry now. "Even if that were true, which it isn't, I don't give a damn. I don't care who would be considered more valuable to the Stargate Program or to Earth. Your life, Jack's, Teal'c, the lives of any of my friends have always been and will always be more important to me than my own, and that's all that matters to me." He looked at her intently. "Sam, if I hadn't done it, it would have been Jack who did."

Sam blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I saw it. Jack would have interfaced with the repository."

"Then you did it to save him?"

"Partly, but I'd already decided that I needed to be the one to do it."

"Because of this whole thing with the genetic advancement?"

"Yes. Well . . . sort of."

Sam stared at him intently. "You'd have done it regardless, wouldn't you, even if you were just like the rest of us."

"Like I said, Sam. We had no other choice. We couldn't afford to lose that knowledge. You know that as well as I do. You even said so on the planet."

Yes, she had said so, but she was now wishing she hadn't. She was wishing that she'd told Jack to go ahead and blow the damn thing up. Now, with Daniel's possible death looming before them, she realized that she shouldn't have given up on the hope that they'd find the Lost City some other way. That repository _hadn't_ been their only hope. Given a little more time, Daniel might have figured out where it was or one of the SG teams might have stumbled across it or some reference to it.

"Yes, but I was wrong," she said. "We might have found the Lost City some other way. If things had happened differently, we might not have even known about that repository. It was mere chance that that planet was picked for a mission when it was. If it had been a couple of days later. . . ."

"If it had been a couple of days later, Anubis would have gotten the information, and we'd all be in very big trouble," Daniel pointed out.

Sam said nothing, knowing that he was right.

"I don't regret what I did, Sam," Daniel told her. "No matter what happens, if we find the Lost City, I will know that I made the right decision."

Sam stared at the floor, trying not to think about what finding the Lost City might cost them. She heard Daniel get to his feet. A moment later, she found herself in his arms. She immediately wrapped her own arms around his waist and held on tight. She drew in a deep breath of his scent, taking in the essence of him, feeling the warm, solid, living presence of him. In a few days, she might lose this forever. Oh, God.

Sam drew away, suddenly needing to escape, to be alone.

"I-I-I, um . . . I'll see you later, okay?" she stammered, fighting with all her might to hold back the tears.

Daniel nodded.

Seconds later, Sam was out of the office and rushing down the hallway. She headed straight for the stairs, knowing she couldn't wait for the elevator. Down to her quarters she went, locking the door behind her. She sat down on the bed and stared at the wall across the room as the tears began to fall. A sob rose up in her throat and she let it come.

Soon, Sam was huddled on the bed, crying uncontrollably as she finally accepted the truth, a truth that she had blinded herself to all these months--the truth that she had fallen utterly in love with her best friend.

* * *

**The episode Lost City was incorrect in stating that a couple of days passed before Jack began speaking Ancient the first time the knowledge of the Ancients was downloaded into his brain. The truth is that, in The Fifth Race, Jack began speaking Ancient no more than a few hours later. However, for the purposes of this story, I am ignoring the fact that Lost City was wrong about the timeline and going with what it said.**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Daniel gave a little sigh and stared at the papers laid out before him on the dining room table. They were the forms for a new will. This was not the first time that he'd changed his will, but this time was proving to be the most difficult.

The first thing Daniel had done when he left the base yesterday was to increase his life insurance policy. Sam, Jack and Teal'c were the beneficiaries on the policy. That he kept the same. But, because of one very important change in his will, he had wanted to make sure that Sam would be getting plenty enough money. He was giving the house to her, the house that she had helped him find, the house she had fallen in love with--the house he had hoped would one day belong to both of them. He was increasing his policy so that there'd be enough money for Sam to pay off the mortgage and still have plenty left over.

Another new thing he was doing was to will his collection of artifacts to Catherine Langford, the ones that weren't destroyed in the fire, of course. There was only one exception, the vase that Sam had given to him for Christmas. It would go to her. All of the furniture would be going to her as well. It only seemed right since she had helped him pick it out.

Those had been the easy decisions. There were some others that weren't. Ever since Daniel descended, he had been intending to change his will, but it was something that never got done. Now that he couldn't put it off any longer, he was finding that there were things he didn't know what to do about, to whom he should give them. He had always intended that all of Sha're's things would be returned to Kasuf if something ever happened to him. But Kasuf was gone, along with all of the other Abydonians. There was no one left to accept into their care the cup Daniel and Sha're had drunk from at their formal wedding, the little hair piece that had been Sha're's favorite, the beautiful stone that Daniel had found and given to Sha're on her birthday. All these things and more had been spared from destruction in the fire because they had been in that plastic box, and, now, there was no one to whom they could be given.

And what of the things that had belonged to his parents? Daniel had always hoped that, someday, Nick would return from P7X-377, but it had now been four years without a word from him. For all Daniel knew, his grandfather was dead. He didn't know who to give those things to now. There were no other relatives except for distant cousins, most of whom he'd never even met.

Sighing, Daniel stood and got some juice. He was heading back to the table when he sensed that someone was coming up to the house, and that someone was Sam.

The archeologist quickly gathered up the papers and thrust them into a drawer. He'd no sooner done than when the doorbell rang.

"Hey," Sam said with a weak smile after Daniel had answered the door.

"Hey." Daniel stood aside to let her in.

"I, um . . . was in the neighborhood," she said as she went into the living room.

Daniel smiled a little at that, knowing that there would have been no reason for Sam to be in this neighborhood unless she was coming to see him.

He headed toward the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink? Some juice or coffee?"

"Juice would be good." Sam sat down on the couch.

Daniel poured her a glass and fetched his from where he'd left it on the dining room table. He gave Sam her drink, then sat down beside her.

"How, um . . . how are you doing?" Sam asked after taking a sip.

"Okay. But we didn't expect anything to happen this soon."

"Yeah. I didn't sleep at all last night," Sam confessed. "I just kept thinking about this. I wish there was something I could do."

Daniel gave her a gentle smile. "I know, Sam."

Sam sighed in frustration. "If there was just some way that we could get hold of Thor or one of the other Asgard."

"They're probably pretty busy with their own problems."

"But I know that they'd come if they knew how important it is, Daniel."

Silence fell between them. After about half a minute of staring into the contents of her glass, Sam put it on the coffee table beside where Daniel had set his.

"Daniel, I. . . ." Sam took a deep breath. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you, but every time I tried, something else came up." She met his gaze. "I know the timing really stinks, but I wanted to know if. . . ."

"If what, Sam?" Daniel prompted gently, searching her eyes.

The question Sam was going to ask died on her lips as she found herself caught in the blueness of that gaze. She felt something snap inside her. "Screw this," she said under her breath. An instant later, she grabbed Daniel's head with both hands and yanked his mouth against hers. Utter shock made the archeologist freeze, but the immobility lasted only a couple of seconds. With a low, deep moan, Daniel crushed Sam to his body. In moments, they were immersed in a kiss of hunger and desperation, the kiss of two people who knew that they may soon be parted forever. Hands clutched and caressed, pushing clothing aside to reach bare skin. Sam was soon straddling Daniel's lap, hips pressed tightly against his. A moment after that, the hand Daniel had underneath her top found one of her breasts, wrenching a groan from her throat. His lips had descended to her neck, covering its entire length with hot kisses, tongue teasing her skin.

Sam was just about to tell Daniel to take her into the bedroom when he stiffened, his head lifting, eyes going to the door.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

"Jack and Teal'c."

_'Oh, shit!'_ Sam scrambled off Daniel's lap, hurriedly straightening her clothes and smoothing her hair as Daniel did likewise. A knock on the door brought the archeologist to his feet. He was very surprised that he had managed to sense the approach of his two male teammates considering what he'd been in the midst of, but he was sure glad that he had. He glanced down at himself, and the thought came to his mind that he was also glad that he was wearing his shirt untucked since, if he wasn't, both Jack and Teal'c would see the undeniable evidence that he and Sam had been doing a whole lot more than just talking.

Amused at the thought of the look that would have been on the faces of the two men if they'd seen that, Daniel opened the door.

"Hey," Jack greeted a little uncertainly. "We saw Carter's car out front. We're not . . . interrupting anything, are we?"

_'Yes, Jack, you are, but I sure as hell am not going to tell you that,'_ Daniel replied in his mind. "No, it's fine," he said aloud.

"Because if you want us to come back later, in, say, three, four hours . . . or more, that would be good, great, actually."

Daniel almost laughed at the slight note of hopefulness that he heard in his friend's voice. He was really tempted to take Jack up on the offer so that he and Sam could go back to what they were doing, but, if he did that, Jack would then know what was going on, and that was something Daniel really didn't want. There was nothing more insufferable than a smug Jack O'Neill.

"Just come in, Jack," Daniel told him, standing aside.

The colonel and the Jaffa entered the house. They looked over as Sam, who was trying to look like she and Daniel hadn't been making out like hormone-driven teenagers just a couple of minutes ago.

"Carter," Jack greeted.

"Sir."

"So, let me guess," Daniel said. "You were in the neighborhood."

The colonel looked at him. "How'd you know I was gonna say that?"

Daniel exchanged a look with Sam, who grinned.

"My spooky psychic powers told me," Daniel answered.

Jack stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if he was serious, then pointed to the white box Teal'c was holding. "We brought donuts."

The day passed pleasantly as Daniel's teammates kept him company and kept his mind mostly off his possible impending death. The archeologist knew that they were trying desperately to keep it off their minds as well.

That afternoon, Jack helped himself to some of the beer that Daniel no longer drank because of the alcohol restriction he was under. A while later, they somehow got into a conversation about The Simpsons. Jack seemed to think that there was an analogy between Homer Simpson's boss and the Goa'uld. Daniel just couldn't see it and had told Jack so.

"You are so wrong, Daniel. So wrong. It's the perfect analogy. Burns as Goa'uld."

"They are merely animated characters, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

Jack glared at him. "You're so shallow."

"Hey, now that's not true," Daniel objected. "I happen to think that Teal'c is pretty deep, a lot deeper than some people I know."

Jack's gaze narrowed. "And what's that supposed to mean."

"Nothing."

"You're just saying that because he agrees with you."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have to agree with Daniel and Teal'c," Sam said. "I don't see the connection either."

Jack looked at all of his teammates. "You are all so blind." He got up. "I'm getting another beer."

He went into the kitchen and pulled a beer out of the refrigerator. As he was coming back out, he noticed the corner of a piece of paper sticking out from one of the drawers. He opened the drawer and reached in to push the sheet in the rest of the way. His hand froze as he caught sight of what the paper was, a sharp, wrenching pain spearing through his chest. The beer he'd consumed earlier instantly soured in his stomach.

Jack closed the drawer, hiding the will from his sight but not from his mind. He closed his eyes, hands clutching the counter, white-knuckled.

"Jack? You get lost in there?" came Daniel's voice from the living room.

"No," Jack replied in a slightly hoarse voice. He cleared his throat. "I changed my mind about the beer. I don't want to drink too much. I'm driving, after all. I've . . . gotta go to the john."

Jack returned the beer to the refrigerator and escaped to the bathroom. He stood bowed over the sink for a long minute, eyes closed once again. Seeing that will, knowing that Daniel had been "getting his affairs into order", had really driven home the fact that there was a very good chance that Daniel was going to die.

_'No, dammit. That's not going to happen. Daniel always makes it out alive in the end, even when he **does** die. It's going to be the same this time. Either the Asgard will come, or this thing won't get the better of him, or . . . or **something**. He's going to be just fine.' _

Desperate to believe that, Jack used the toilet and went back out into the living room. His teammates were talking about a special on the National Geographic Channel.

"Ya see? This is why you guys need me around," Jack said with forced cheerfulness. "Without me, you descend into absolutely boring discussions about TV specials that nobody who has anything better to do would even think about watching."

"Actually, I like the National Geographic Channel, sir," Sam told him.

"As do I," Teal'c stated.

Jack shook his head. "Not only are you people blind, you're also pathetic."

Daniel lifted his eyebrows. "As opposed to someone who thinks that Jim Carry's 'Pet Detective' should have won an Academy Award?"

"Hey! It was funny! If there was an Academy Award for Best Comedy, it would have been a lock."

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c all shared a look.

"What?!" Jack asked, miffed.

"Nothing, sir," Sam said.

Jack changed the topic of conversation, and the afternoon continued. Daniel was glad of the company of his friends, especially when he knew that this might be the final hours he'd spend with them like this.

"Well, I'd say it's time for dinner," Jack said at around 6:30. "So, what's it gonna be? Go out or takeout?"

"I vote takeout," Daniel answered. "I'm not really in the mood to go anywhere."

"I agree," Sam said.

"That would be acceptable," Teal'c stated.

Jack nodded. "Okay, takeout it is."

They all decided on what to get, then Jack left to get the food. When Daniel sensed his return a while later, the archeologist decided to have a little fun with him. He quickly dashed over to the TV and turned it on, tuning it to a familiar channel.

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Just play along, Sam."

The major noticed what channel it was and grinned. Daniel sat beside her on the couch. He motioned to Teal'c and patted the cushion on the other side of him.

"Come on, Teal'c."

The Jaffa rose from his chair, an eyebrow cocking.

"Sit down and pretend like you're totally engrossed," Daniel told him.

Teal'c looked at the screen. Though they couldn't be sure, his teammates could have sworn that they saw a smile tilt his lips upward for a moment. As requested, the Jaffa sat on the couch and pretended to become absorbed in the TV program.

A few seconds later, Jack came in carrying several bags. "Hey, we lucked out. The place was hardly busy at all."

"Uh huh," Daniel said distractedly, eyes glued on the TV.

"That's good, sir," Sam commented in the same tone, also not removing her gaze from the screen.

"Just, um . . . put the food on the table." Daniel waved his hand in the direction of the dining room. "We'll eat in a while."

"This is most fascinating, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c remarked.

"Isn't it?" the archeologist agreed. "Very thought-provoking."

"Yeah," said Sam in a very convincing tone of fascination.

Jack came into the living room. "What are you guys watching?" He looked at the TV. "National Geographic?! I don't believe this! I'm not even gone half an hour, and you guys degenerate into this."

Three faces turned and looked up at him at the same time with identically cocked eyebrows. Jack saw the hint of humor in their eyes and realized that he'd been had.

"Oh, very funny. Ha ha," he said sarcastically.

Grins spread across the faces of Daniel and Sam. The archeologist shut off the TV, and everyone went into the dining room to eat. They had decided to try out an Italian restaurant that opened in the area a couple of months ago and were pleased to discover that the food was quite good.

"Mmmm. This Fettuccine Alfredo is wonderful," Sam said. "Here, Daniel. Try some."

Daniel dug his fork into the pasta and took a bite. "Hey, you're right. That is euge."

Everyone else at the table froze, staring at him.

"What? What is it?" Daniel asked, looking at each of them in puzzlement.

"You said 'euge'," Jack told him.

"I did?"

"You did."

Daniel put his fork down and stared at his plate.

"What does euge mean?" Sam asked, a tight, sick feeling in her stomach.

"Good. It means 'good'," Daniel lifted his gaze to her, "in Ancient."

"Damn," Jack cursed. "I thought it was going to take a couple of days."

"That's what we all thought, sir," Sam replied, "but we didn't take into account Daniel's increased ability to assimilate the data from the repository."

"So it's happening faster."

"I guess because of the differences in my brain and my genetic makeup, all the knowledge is being absorbed by my conscious mind at a faster rate," Daniel reasoned.

"Soooo . . . is this a good thing or a bad thing?" Jack asked.

"I honestly don't know, sir," Sam admitted. "This does seem to prove that Daniel's mind is better equipped to consciously process the knowledge, but there is no way to know yet if it's going to make a positive difference in the end. It is such a massive amount of data."

"Oh, come on. This is _Daniel's_ brain we're talking about here. I sometimes swear that he must have been _born_ with a massive amount of stuff already in there. If anyone's brain is big enough to hold all that crap, it's _gotta_ be his."

Daniel looked at Jack. "Thanks . . . I think."

"I think we should go to the SGC," Sam said. "There's no telling how fast this is going to progress."

Since everyone had lost their appetite anyway, no one objected to leaving before finishing dinner. Once they arrived at the base, Jack headed to Hammond's office to tell him what was going on as Daniel, Sam and Teal'c went to the infirmary to tell Janet. The doctor was concerned by the development and insisted on doing a new set of tests, which Daniel thought was pointless.

"Janet, running more tests isn't going to magically give you the fallatus to help me." The archeologist noticed the look on everyone's faces. "I did it again, didn't I."

Sam nodded. "You said fallatus."

"Ability." Daniel got up. "I don't understand this. If my brain is better able to absorb and assimilate this, why is it that I'm not aware I'm speaking Ancient? I should know, shouldn't I?"

"Not necessarily," Janet answered. "This is not really happening on a conscious level. In your conscious mind, you are thinking the words in English, but because the Ancients' knowledge is gradually overwriting everything, it sometimes supplants the English words with the Ancient equivalent when you speak."

Daniel thought about that for a moment. "I remember when I was working on my dissertation for my archeology doctorate, I was really sleep-deprived, and I started muttering to myself. I looked up, and this guy sitting nearby in the campus library was just staring at me. I didn't know why until he asked what language I was speaking. I didn't even realize that I'd been talking in Arabic, which was almost like my native tongue since I spent the majority of the first eight years of my life in Egypt, surrounded by people speaking that language."

Janet nodded. "You could look at this in the same way." She noticed the tiredness on the archeologist's face. "You need to get some rest, Daniel. I'm willing to bet that you didn't get much last night."

"I don't have time to rest, Janet. I need to find the information about the Lost City. I know that it's in my head somewhere."

"And you'll be much more capable of finding that information once you've had some sleep," the doctor insisted. She turned to Sam. "And since I can tell that you didn't sleep much either, I want you to get some rest, too," her eyes landed on Teal'c, "both of you. And you can tell Colonel O'Neill the same thing."

Realizing that it was fruitless to argue, the three members of SG-1 left the infirmary. They went to Daniel's office. Jack showed up a few minutes later.

"We tried to get hold of the Asgard again," he told the others. "Still no luck. But they'll come through. You just wait and see. Thor won't let us down."

"We can't count on Thor for asorda, Jack," Daniel told him. This time, the archeologist knew before he even saw the look on everyone's faces that he'd done it again. "Asorda. That, um, means 'help'."

"You were aware that you spoke Ancient this time, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"Yeah. I guess things are changing." Daniel rubbed his temple in an effort to ease the slight headache he had.

Sam gazed at him in concern. "I think that Janet's right. We should all get a little sleep."

The four friends all retired to their quarters, but none of them got very much sleep that night. Daniel was plagued by strange dreams, the images so jumbled that he could not make sense of them. He awoke at 5 a.m. with the unsettling feeling that his mind was drowning in an ocean of knowledge that he could not hope to contain.

He stumbled his way to the bathroom. In the shower, he closed his eyes and let the hot water cascade over his head and body. He'd been like that for two or three minutes when a sudden, image of violent volcanic eruptions made him gasp, eyes flying open. This was the second time that he'd had a vision in which he witnessed volcanic activity. He knew that it was important somehow, and, now, he was beginning to believe that it had a connection to the Lost City. He just didn't know what that connection was.

Finishing his shower, Daniel got dressed and went to his office. He pulled out one of his books on Medieval Latin and began pouring over it, hoping that some word he read would spark something in his mind.

He'd been reading for only about half an hour when he sensed Teal'c's approach. He turned to face the door as the Jaffa entered.

"Should you not still be resting, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"Yeah, I probably should, but since I spent half the night awake, I figured that there was no point in wasting any more time. What about you?"

"I, too, found it difficult to rest. My thoughts trouble me deeply."

Daniel nodded, his gaze falling away from Teal'c's. "Do you think I made a mistake, too?"

The Jaffa came up to him. "I believe that you made the only decision that you thought you could. O'Neill has told me that you had a vision showing that, if you did not do so yourself, he would have interfaced with the repository."

"Yes, but, even before I had the vision, I'd decided that there was no other choice. Someone had to interface with that thing, and I figured that I was the best one to do it."

There was a brief silence, then Teal'c quietly said, "It is possible that, now that I no longer carry a symbiote, the repository would have worked on me."

Daniel shook his head. "Even if it would have, I wouldn't have wanted you to do it. I wouldn't have wanted _any_ of you to do it. It's a whole lot easier accepting the possibility that I won't survive than it would be if it happened to one of you. No. It's better that it was me."

Teal'c's eyes bored into his. "Hear me, Daniel Jackson. You have always been a great asset to the Tau'ri in all the years that you have been with the Stargate Program. This is true even more so now. You have become a weapon of unmeasurable value against the Goa'uld. For this reason alone, any one of us would gladly take your place, for we know that your loss would be a great blow to our fight against the Goa'uld."

"Teal'c, I can't value my life above any of yours, regardless of how important I might be in the fight against the Goa'uld. Even if I hadn't gained these abilities, I really think that we'd have done okay. We did a pretty good job of fighting the Goa'uld all these years without the aid of psychic powers, and I have to believe that will continue to be true if I don't make it through this. I'm not indispensable."

Teal'c's gaze deepened. "That may be true, Daniel Jackson, but it does not change the fact that your importance to us cannot be measured alone by the skills you possess. You are our friend, and, as your friends, we would not hesitate to trade places with you."

Daniel met his eyes. "I know, Teal'c," he murmured. "But, you see, I feel the same way, which is why I'm glad that it was me."

The two men fell silent. Daniel got to his feet. "Look, Teal'c, I know that . . . whoa." He swayed and grabbed the desk for support. The Jaffa was immediately at his side, a firm grasp on his arm.

"What is wrong, Daniel Jackson?"

The archeologist raised a hand to his head. "That was, uhhh, kind of disconcerting. For a second there, it was like the Ancients' knowledge was right there in my conscious mind, _all_ of it, all at once. I thought my fron was going to explode."

Teal'c did not say anything about Daniel's use of an Ancient word. "This is not the way it happened with O'Neill."

"No, it's not. I think that, because of the differences in my brain, the stuff from the repository is 'unspooling' faster, and, every once in a while, it's like someone hits Fast Forward. The problem is that there is so much information that it's just a big jumbled mess, and I can't separate out anything."

"Perhaps if you were to join me in Kel'no'reem, it would allow you to find the information we need."

"You know, that just might work. It's worth a try."

"What's worth a try?" asked Jack from the doorway. Daniel turned to see both him and Sam there. He hadn't sensed their approach and had to wonder if the Ancients' knowledge was beginning to affect his paranormal abilities.

"Teal'c suggested that I try meditation, see if it would help me find the information we need."

"Great idea," Jack said. "Let's all go do that."

"Jack, not counting when you were in Teal'c's body, you've never meditated in your life, and I doubt you could even if you tried. Meditation requires quieting your mind, body and spirit."

"Hey, I'm the one who's into fishing, Doctor I-couldn't-shut-my-brain-off-even-if-it-had-an-off-switch Jackson. Don't talk to me about a quiet mind and body. I think about nothing all the time."

Daniel smiled slightly. "You're right. You'd probably have no trouble with the not thinking part. However, meditation also requires patience and the ability to sit and do absolutely nothing for hours."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"For hours?"

"Sometimes."

"Oh. Well, I guess I could try."

"I'll try, too," Sam said.

Daniel gave a nod. "All right, let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Having done this before, Daniel helped Teal'c set up and light the candles while Jack and Sam watched. Once the final candle had been lit, they all settled on the floor. It was kind of funny watching Jack attempt to cross his legs properly as he complained about his knees not bending that way anymore.

"Okay, now that I'm _completely_ uncomfortable, what's next?" the colonel asked.

"Now you do that not thinking part," Daniel replied.

"Not thinking. Sure, I can do that. Piece of cake." There was a short pause. "So, I just sit here and not think? Isn't that awfully boring?"

"Well, there is a little more involved in it than that."

"So, is it like that Kel'no'reem stuff that Teal'c had to teach me when we switched bodies?"

"In a way, but you won't be communing with a symbiote--"

"Thank God for that."

"You also won't have the advantage of that symbiotic connection and being in the body of a Jaffa."

"Thank God for that, too." Seeing Teal'c's frown, Jack hastily added, "Not that there's anything wrong with your body, Teal'c. It's a _great_ body, _wonderful_ body." Realizing how that sounded, he even more hastily said, "I mean, looking at it from a _purely_ male perspective with absolutely _no_ interest in your body whatsoever. . . ." Jack's voice trailed off. He turned to Daniel. "So! Let's get started, shall we?"

Hiding his smile, Daniel explained to Jack and Sam the process of entering a meditative state, explaining that they might not have a lot of success the first time.

"You were quite successful on your first occasion, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c reminded him.

"When was that exactly?" Jack asked.

"When I was getting the memory flashes of what happened to Bra'tac and Rya'c on Erebus," Daniel replied. "I thought that maybe meditation would help me. As it turned out, it did."

Jack's expression brightened. "Hey. Maybe it will help me remember where I put my VCR remote."

Daniel glanced back and forth between Sam and Jack. "Ready?"

"Yep," the colonel replied, all ready to think of nothing.

Sam nodded.

Everyone closed their eyes. Daniel started going through the process of lowering his brainwave pattern. He'd just achieved a low alpha frequency when. . . .

"So, how long is this supposed to take?"

With a little sigh, Daniel opened his eyes and looked at Jack. "It takes as long as it takes."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"Ask Chaka."

Jack stared at him in bafflement. "What?"

Not bothering to explain that that was the answer Chaka had given to Daniel on P3X-403 when he asked the Unas how long they'd have to wait for the other Unas to show up, the archeologist closed his eyes. "Just keep trying, Jack."

"Right. Sure. Keep trying."

There was silence again. This time, Daniel managed to achieve a high theta frequency before he was interrupted again.

"So, how long should I keep trying?"

With an even louder sigh, Daniel opened his eyes and glared at Jack. Before he could say something, Teal'c spoke.

"O'Neill, for successful meditation, there is one element required above all others."

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"Silence."

Daniel almost laughed, recognizing that the Jaffa had almost said word for word what he'd told Daniel the first time the archeologist tried meditation.

Chastened, Jack finally shut up.

A third time, Daniel stilled his mind. At last, he succeeded in lowering his brainwave pattern to a calming, soothing theta frequency. Not wanting to be disturbed yet again, he filtered everything else out of his awareness, including his three teammates.

A few minutes had passed before Jack got bored and gave up. He looked around at the others. Sam's eyes were closed, but she didn't look relaxed enough, and Jack guessed that she hadn't had any success yet. Teal'c's face was calm and peaceful, his body relaxed and still. As for Daniel, his face didn't just look peaceful, it looked totally blank, like his brain was completely out to lunch.

_'How can he __**do**__ that?'_ Jack asked himself.

A tiny sigh drew Jack's attention back to Sam. He leaned closer to her. "No luck, Carter?" he asked in a lowered voice.

Sam opened her eyes. "Not really, sir. It's the not thinking part that's a problem for me."

"Gee, what a surprise."

"I don't think I'm cut out for meditation."

"Join the club. I'd rather be doing nothing with a fishing pole in my hands."

"Not all individuals can succeed in meditation," said Teal'c, who opened his eyes to look at them.

"Hey, I thought you were Kel'no'reeming," Jack said.

"Indeed I was, O'Neill. However, I am no longer."

The frown he gave Jack told the colonel that it was his fault. "Sorry." Jack turned to Daniel, whose eyes were still closed. "Okay, Daniel, I give up. So does Carter." There was no response at all from the archeologist. "Yoohoo! Daniel." The younger man still didn't stir. "Come on, Daniel. I know you're faking it. Give it up." When there was still no response from the linguist, Jack looked at Teal'c. "He is faking it, right? I mean, he can't still be under."

"If Daniel Jackson so chooses, he can achieve a deep state of meditation in which his mind is isolated from his environment," the Jaffa told him.

"You mean he can't hear us?"

"He cannot."

"Not even if I jumped up and down and screamed at the top of my lungs?"

"No."

"Not even if I dressed in a tutu and did Swan Lake, swelling orchestra and all?"

"Not even then, O'Neill."

Jack looked at Daniel. "How come he did that?"

Teal'c merely stared at Jack and cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh," Jack said, getting the message.

Unaware of the conversation taking place, Daniel delved deeply into his own mind, seeking the information they desperately needed. He could actually sense the vast storehouse of knowledge that lay like a huge python in his brain, waiting for the moment when it would spring upon him and wrap its coils around his mind, slowly crushing it as it constricted tighter and tighter.

Wondering why his mind had come up with that particular analogy, Daniel pushed the thought aside and attempted to find what he was looking for, some clue to where the Lost City was. The minutes continued to pass with no success. Then, all at once, it was like a door was opened a crack. Words leapt into his mind with such suddenness that he blurted them out aloud.

The archeologist's eyes blinked open to see his teammates staring at him.

"What the hell does praclarush taonas mean?" Jack asked.

"I have no idea," Daniel admitted. "It just popped into my head." He got to his feet. "I need to. . . ." His voice faded off with a little gasp.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" Sam asked, quickly getting up off the floor, as did the others.

Daniel staggered, hands pressing against his head. "Oh, God. Too much," he gasped.

Jack and Teal'c grasped Daniel's arms, seeing his face pale. Seconds later, he cried out in Ancient and collapsed. The colonel and Jaffa gently lowered him to the floor as a distraught Sam dashed to the phone and called for a medical team.

Minutes later, an unconscious Daniel was being rushed to the infirmary, his teammates hurrying alongside the gurney. Once they arrived, Janet made them stay outside. Sam began to pace.

"Too fast. It's happening too fast," she said. "Dammit! It should have been me!"

"No, Carter, it should have been _me_," Jack responded quietly. "If it wasn't for Daniel's abilities, it _would_ have been me. I wish to hell that I'd beaten him to it."

Sam's eyes closed against the tears that were burning in them. She was so scared, terrified that she was going to lose Daniel. God, this couldn't be happening. She couldn't lose him.

The hour that passed as Jack, Sam and Teal'c waited for word of their friend seemed like forever, but, at last, Janet appeared.

"How is he?" Jack asked her.

"He's asleep," she answered. "I don't exactly know what happened, but he woke up for a short while, and the EEG was going all over the place. He was talking in Ancient, so I couldn't understand a word. I finally had to sedate him because he was getting extremely agitated and appeared to be in pain."

Janet looked at the archeologist's teammates. "You said that Daniel was meditating, trying to access the Ancients' knowledge."

Sam nodded in confirmation. "He suddenly came out of it and said something in Ancient. He told us that it had just popped into his head. Then, all at once, something went wrong."

"He said 'Too much' before he collapsed," Jack supplied.

"Too much?"

"I believe that the knowledge contained in Daniel Jackson's mind may have come forth too quickly," Teal'c stated. "I witnessed an incident earlier this morning. He told me that he was briefly inundated by the knowledge of the Ancients."

"And why didn't he tell the rest of us?" Jack asked, more than a little angry.

"He should have reported to the infirmary," Janet said, also not happy.

"Daniel Jackson is most determined to gain access to the information we need," Teal'c explained.

"Yeah, well, he won't be able to get that information if he's dead!" Jack exclaimed.

"What if the meditation triggered another incident, only one that was much worse?" Sam suggested.

Janet nodded. "That sounds likely. The problem is that, unlike when this happened to Colonel O'Neill, the Ancients' knowledge is not taking over Daniel's consciousness incrementally. It appears to be happening in spurts, and it's happening a great deal faster. At this rate, Daniel may completely lose the ability to communicate with us within a matter of hours. For now, I'm going to keep him sedated, but that isn't going to fix anything. We need to get that stuff out of his head."

"Can we see him?" Sam asked.

"Yes, but don't disturb him."

"We won't, Doc," Jack assured her.

The three members of SG-1 went to Daniel's bed. The archeologist was deeply asleep, his face looking pale to his teammates' critical eyes.

"We're here, Daniel," Sam said softly, taking her friend's hand as she sat down beside him.

Jack grabbed another chair and sat on Daniel's other side. Teal'c took up position at the foot of the bed.

They were still in those positions two hours later when a slight sound from Daniel drew their gaze to him. They were all startled when his eyes abruptly popped open, darting about the room.

Jack laid a hand on his shoulder. "Daniel? Take it easy. You're in the infirmary." He called over his shoulder for Janet, and one of the nurses went to fetch her.

Daniel's gaze traveled to him. "Jack?" He then saw Sam and Teal'c. "What . . . what happened?"

"You collapsed, Daniel," Sam answered. "Do you remember meditating with us in Teal'c's room?"

A look of confusion passed over the archeologist's features. "Yeah. I was trying to access the Ancients' knowledge."

"Well, you apparently succeeded a little too well," Jack told him.

Daniel frowned. "Wait. I think I remember. These words came to me, praclarush taonas, and then there was all this stuff flooding into my mind. It was too much."

Just then, Janet came up to the bed. She looked down at Daniel in surprise. "You shouldn't be awake."

"Sorry. I didn't do it on purpose."

"What I mean is that the sedative I gave you should have kept you out for several more hours."

"Sedative? Why did you give me a sedative?"

"Because you needed it. Your brain was in an extreme state of activity, and you were very agitated."

"How long have I been out?"

"Just a couple of hours," Sam replied.

Daniel tried to sit up. "A couple of hours that we couldn't afford to lose."

"Whoa!" Jack pushed him back down on the bed. "You're not going anywhere, Mister."

"Jack, I need to keep searching for something about the Lost City."

"Daniel, you don't understand how serious this is," Janet said. "You may have come very close to being completely taken over by the Ancients' knowledge. To be honest, I'm surprised that you're so lucid now."

"And he hasn't spoken even one word of Ancient," Jack added.

"Maybe all I needed was a little sleep," Daniel suggested.

"Actually, you may have something there," Sam said. Everyone stared at her. "We know that the subconscious can block memories from the conscious mind if those memories are harmful. What if Daniel's subconscious somehow managed to repress some of the Ancient knowledge? I know it sounds kind of crazy. . . ."

"But this whole thing is crazy," Jack concluded.

"The last thing I want is for that knowledge to be repressed," Daniel said. "I need it."

"Dammit, Daniel. Stop being so pig-headed. According to the doc, you were spouting off Ancient right and left. Now, how are we going to find anything if you can't help us understand you? For all we know, you were giving us step-by-step instructions on how to get to the Lost City, but, because you were out of your head with all that stuff crammed in there, we had no way of knowing what you were saying."

Jack's words shut Daniel up. He knew that his friend was right. They had to take this slowly and gradually. If he completely lost the ability to communicate before he gave someone the information they needed, it would all be for nothing.

"You should get some more rest, Daniel," Janet told him gently.

"I don't think I can. I need to find out what praclarush taonas means. I may be thinking clearly now, but we don't know how long that's going to last."

Though her instincts as a doctor were telling Janet to make Daniel rest and protect him from further harm, she knew that he was right. Too much depended on what now resided in the archeologist's brain. There was also the fact that, if Daniel didn't succeed in finding what they were looking for and he died, his death would be for nothing.

"All right, but I want you to stay here for a while longer. Sam, the Colonel and Teal'c can bring you anything that you need." Daniel started to object, but didn't get the words out. "That is nonnegotiable," Janet added firmly.

Daniel gave a sigh. "All right. I need my Medieval Latin dictionary and some paper and a pencil. Oh, and my laptop. And my notebook, too." There was a pause. "And I could really--"

"Oh for cryin' out loud, Daniel," Jack exclaimed. "You'll be having us bring the entire contents of your office, if you keep going."

The archeologist looked at him. "Not unless someone has turned my office into a kitchen, Jack. I was going to ask if someone could bring me something to eat. I haven't had anything yet today, and I'm starving."

"Oh." At that moment, Jack's stomach growled loudly. "Come to think of it, neither have I."

"Nor I," Teal'c stated.

"Me neither," said Sam.

"Okay, how about if we all have breakfast here?" Jack suggested.

"My infirmary is not a dining room, Colonel," Janet said sternly. "I'll make sure that Daniel gets something to eat. You three can go to the commissary and eat there."

Sam, Jack and Teal'c reluctantly left to get some food, telling Daniel that they'd bring what he needed from his office after they ate.

The first part of the meal was spent mostly in silence. Sam's food was only half-eaten when she put her fork down and just stared at the plate.

"I'm worried," she admitted.

"I, too, am deeply concerned," Teal'c said.

Jack put his muffin down. "Yeah, it's not looking so good, is it."

"This is so different from the way it was with you, sir," Sam said. "At any minute, that knowledge could completely overwhelm Daniel. And, if that happens. . . ." She couldn't finish the thought.

"No. That's not gonna happen," Jack insisted. "It just isn't. Daniel hasn't survived all the other crap in his life only to let this get the better of him."

Sam said nothing, her gaze on the tabletop. Though she wanted to believe that Jack was right, she knew that there was a very real chance that Daniel was going to die.

The major quickly got to her feet. "I, um . . . I'm going to go get that stuff for Daniel." She hurriedly left the commissary, not wanting her teammates to see the tears that were on the verge of falling. She went to Daniel's office and gathered the things he needed, dashing away each tear that fell.

Before leaving there, Sam took a deep, steadying breath, trying to regain control. When she believed that she had succeeded, she headed to the infirmary. Daniel was just finishing his meal when she arrived.

"Hey. Here's all the things you wanted," she said with a forced smile.

"Thanks, Sam." Daniel lifted the food tray off the overbed table. "Put it down there," he said, nodding at where the tray had been.

Sam put down the stuff, then took the tray from Daniel and set it on the empty bed beside his.

"Are you still feeling okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. I don't think that I've said anything more in Ancient, although I suspect that's only temporary." He smiled very faintly. "One thing's for sure. I'm not going to try the meditation again. That didn't turn out to be such a good idea after all. Well, maybe except for those words I came up with. Now, if I can just find out what they mean."

Daniel opened up the book on Medieval Latin and searched through it for several minutes. "According to this, praclarush taonas means 'lost in fire'." He frowned deeply.

"What's wrong?"

"Twice now, I've had this vision of volcanic activity, volcanoes erupting and lava everywhere."

"You think that there's a connection?"

"Yeah. I really hope, though, that what I saw isn't where the Lost City was."

"Me too, though it is possible that what you saw is only on one part of the planet. The city might still be intact. The problem is that, without a gate address, there is no way that we'd be able to find that planet."

"I know." He tapped his head. "It's in here somewhere, Sam. I just have to find it."

"Just be careful, Daniel. We don't want a repeat of what happened before. For a moment I thought . . . I thought that we were losing you."

Daniel became quiet, his eyes gazing down at his hands. "Sam, I. . . ." He sighed. "Before you came to my house yesterday, I was, um, working on my will."

Sam felt a tearing pain in the vicinity of her heart. "Daniel."

"There were some changes that I knew had to be made." Daniel lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Sam, I want you to have the house."

Sam shook her head, tears instantly springing to her eyes. "Daniel, please don't talk about this."

"I have to, Sam. We both know that there is a good chance I won't make it through this. I can't hide my head in the sand and pretend otherwise. I know how much you like the house, and I want you to have it."

Sam closed her eyes, feeling tears slip down her cheeks. The pain in her heart was growing worse. She couldn't take this. "I can't . . . I can't. . . ." She abruptly turned and fled.

Having seen the astrophysicist's sudden departure, Janet came over. "What's wrong with Sam?"

Daniel gave a sad sigh, wishing that he hadn't brought up the subject of his will. "I told her that I was willing my house to her." He looked up into her eyes. "I guess that might be a surprise to you."

The doctor shook her head. "No, Daniel, it's not. I know that you love her."

Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. "You do? How did you know?"

"Sam confided in me a long time ago about what you told her when you were on that vacation."

"Oh." He blushed slightly. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I know that you and Sam are close."

"Yes, we are, close enough to know that this whole thing is tearing her apart. She cares about you very, very much, Daniel. So do the colonel and Teal'c. And Cassie and I do, too. So, don't you give up on us. You keep fighting, you hear me?"

Daniel met her eyes squarely. "I will, Janet. You know me. I never give up. I'm too stubborn."

Janet gave him a little smile. "Yes, you are." She glanced at the doorway. "I need to go take care of something."

"Okay. And, Janet? If you see Sam, tell her I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset her."

"I will."

Janet left the infirmary and headed straight to Sam's lab. Not finding the major there, she guessed that Sam had gone to her quarters and headed over there. A knock on the door was answered by a small voice.

"Sam? It's Janet. Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

The doctor opened the door and looked inside. Sam was sitting on the bed, arms wrapped around a pillow. Her face was wet with tears, which she was trying to wipe away. Janet sat beside her.

"I'm sorry," Sam apologized. "It's just that this whole thing isn't easy. And I'm . . . I'm kind of scared."

"I know, Sam. Daniel told me what he said to you."

Sam closed her eyes and turned away. "God. Hearing him talk about his will, it just. . . ."

Janet rested her hand on her friend's and said nothing.

After a long moment, Sam turned back to her. "I love him, Janet," she said in a heart-wrenching voice. "All these months I've been so stupid, so blind! I couldn't see it. I didn't _want_ to see it. And, now, it might be too late." She began to cry in earnest. "I can't lose him."

Janet pulled Sam into her arms and held her as she sobbed. The doctor's eyes filled with tears of their own, which fell, unnoticed, upon Sam's hair.

It was a long time later when Sam quieted and drew away. Janet kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Are you going to be all right?" the doctor asked.

Sam sniffled and wiped her face. "No, not really, not until I know that Daniel is going to be all right."

"Sam, you need to tell him how you feel."

The astrophysicist shook her head. "I can't, not now, not with all this other stuff that's happening."

Janet hated to speak the next words, but knew that they had to be said. "And what if now is the only chance you're going to get?"

Anguish flashed across Sam's face, and she turned away. She got to her feet and walked across the room, hugging herself. "How can I tell him, Janet? How can I say that, for all these months, I've been blinding myself to the truth and that it's only now, when he might be dying, that I've finally figured out that I've been in love with him all along, that a part of me was _always_ in love with him, right from the beginning?" Sam's voice caught. "All this time, we could have been together. We could have. . . ."

Sam's squeezed her eyes closed. She knew that, before Daniel's ascension, there couldn't have been anything between them. The memories of his wife and the love he had for her were still too strong. But there was that moment in Daniel's tent on Vis Uban, when he asked if there had ever been anything between them. If she hadn't been so hung up on her feelings for Jack, she might have stopped to think about that question. More than that, there was the kiss they shared, the kiss that sent her pulse racing and launched her mind into thoughts of being with Daniel, thoughts that would not go away, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of them. She should have known then. She should have been able to figure it out. She had been such an idiot.

"I can't tell you what to do, Sam," Janet said. "But how are you going to feel if Daniel dies never knowing that you love him like he loves you? He would want to know." She got to her feet. "I have to get back to the infirmary." The doctor headed for the door. "Oh, I almost forgot. Daniel told me to tell you that he's sorry he upset you."

The sound of the door opening and closing told Sam that Janet had left. She stood unmoving for a couple of minutes, then returned to the bed. More minutes ticked by as she thought about what Janet had said. She knew that her friend was right, that Daniel should be told, but Sam was scared. She was afraid to tell Daniel that she loved him. Her old fear had returned, the fear that every man she cared about like that would die. As irrational as it was, Sam thought that, if she didn't tell him, Daniel would be okay. For all those years, she never came right out and told Jack about her feelings, and he'd managed to survive. The scientist in Sam scoffed at the ridiculousness of her thoughts, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't conquer this fear.

Suddenly feeling very tired, Sam lay down on the bed, the pillow once again clutched against her chest. Moments later, she was asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Janet finally released Daniel later that afternoon. During the hours that the archeologist was in the infirmary, he hadn't spoken a single word in Ancient, which made everyone happy. The problem was that he also hadn't succeeded in digging out anything from the Ancients' knowledge. He appeared to be at a standstill. Daniel knew that it was all still there, but something had happened to push it back out of sight.

His frustration at being unable to access the knowledge led to Daniel toying with the idea of trying the meditation again, but it didn't take long to change his mind. His previous experience had shown that it was too dangerous.

A great deal of the time that Daniel had spent in the infirmary was with the company of his teammates. Since there was never a time when he and Sam were alone, he didn't get the opportunity to apologize to her personally. Daniel noticed that she was much quieter than normal and seemed a little distracted. He knew that she was upset by what was happening, but he sensed that there was more to it than that. He just wished he knew what it was.

Daniel's thoughts had gone often to what happened at his house yesterday before Jack and Teal'c arrived. Those moments with Sam had been incredible. If they hadn't been interrupted, Daniel had no doubt that they would have made love, maybe right there on the couch. He had certainly wanted it, and Sam had definitely seemed to want it, too, judging by her . . . enthusiasm and the fact that she had started it.

So, what did this mean? Clearly, Sam had changed her mind about only wanting to be friends, but was it just lust? Daniel desperately wanted it to be more than that. He had to wonder what Sam was talking about when she said that there was something she had been wanting to ask him. If he managed to survive this, he was going to have to find out.

The archeologist made his way to his office, his arms full of the things that Sam had brought to the infirmary. He set everything down on his worktable. He stared at the woefully empty sheets of paper. With the exception of the words Praclarush Taonas, which he was now pretty certain was the name of the planet where the Lost City was, there has been nothing for him to write down. Daniel's sixth sense was warning him that time was running out, but he didn't know what to do to gain access to the Ancients' knowledge. He had begun to wonder if it should have been someone else who took the download. When Jack did that first time, he had succeeded in giving them a new way to calculate the distance between planets, had shown them how to repair a malfunctioning DHD, had built a new power generator, and had found the way to the Asgard homeworld, which resulted in the Asgard becoming their allies. So far, Daniel hadn't done much of anything at all. He certainly hadn't gotten them much closer to finding the Lost City, the whole reason why he took the download in the first place.

"Hey, you okay?"

Daniel looked up in surprise to see Jack standing in the doorway. Once again, his ability to sense the presence of others had failed him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Daniel replied.

Jack came into the room. "Didn't look like it to me just then."

Daniel went over to his desk. "I'm just frustrated."

"Still getting nothin'?"

"Not a thing."

"Give it time, Daniel. It'll come. It did with me."

Daniel met his friend's eyes. "I don't think we have time, Jack. I have this terrible feeling that something is coming, something that we're not going to be able to stop if we don't find the Lost City." He sighed and looked away. "I'm beginning to think that I made a mistake."

"In what way?"

"I thought that, because of the differences in my brain, I might be able to handle the download better and that, because of that, I might be able to access the information easier. Obviously, I was wrong. If it had been you, you'd probably be busy building something right about now and calculating the quickest route to the Lost City with math that even Sam couldn't understand."

"No, I'd probably be sitting on my couch at home, drinking beer. It's only Sunday. I probably wouldn't have started getting weird until tomorrow or the next day. You're way ahead of the game." Jack searched his face. "Daniel, don't start doubting yourself. You will come through for us. I have no doubt of that. Frankly, the fact that you were apparently able to take control and put a halt to all that Ancient stuff taking over is really good news. It means that there is a very good chance that the download won't get the better of you. Who knows? Maybe you'll actually be able to keep it all, and we won't need the Asgard to suck it out."

Daniel shook his head. "I don't see how that could be possible, Jack. There is so much there, millions of years of knowledge. My mind couldn't possibly manage to consciously contain it all."

"Yet the Ancients could, and they were basically human before they went all glowy."

"Humans far more evolved than I am. Besides, we really don't know for sure if each of the unascended Ancients possessed every bit of their knowledge. For all we know, the repositories are only supposed to download _part_ of the knowledge in each person, not all of it."

"Well, even if you could keep a little bit of it, that would be cool. I bet there are the plans for all kinds of neat gadgets and weapons floating around in that skull of yours right now."

"Yeah. Now, if they would just float to the surface, that would be great. I would be delighted if just the lochus of the Lost City floated to the surface."

"Uh oh," Jack said, his expression troubled.

"'Uh oh' what?"

"You just did it again."

"Did wha. . . . Oh. What did I say?"

"Lochus."

"Location."

"It's happening again."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"Maybe you should take another nap. That helped last time."

Daniel shook his head. "I need to let this happen, Jack. What good is that knowledge going to do if I keep hiding from it?"

Over the next several hours, Daniel continued to speak occasional words in Ancient. He soon got to the point where he was aware every time it happened and knew what he'd said. It was a little strange having to translate for himself. Everyone had noticed that the incidents were happening with ever increasing frequency. By that evening, Daniel had twice spoken almost entire sentences in Ancient.

Though he knew that he should tell someone, Daniel kept quiet about the fact that his headache had returned and was getting progressively worse. He was also once again experiencing moments when a sudden flood of Ancient knowledge hit him with overwhelming force. That he could not hide since, every time it happened, he nearly ended up on the floor.

Sam, Jack and Teal'c were Daniel's almost constant companions. The archeologist was under orders not to be alone for more than a few minutes at a time, and his teammates were making sure he followed that order. Jack wouldn't even let him go into the men's room alone. When Daniel decided that he wanted to take a shower, he almost had to physically throw Jack out when the colonel decided it would be too dangerous to let the archeologist shower alone just in case he had another "attack" and fell. Fortunately, Jack got the hint, and Daniel got his moment of privacy. If Jack had known that Daniel _did_ suffer another attack while in the shower, any hope the archeologist had of even a minute of privacy would have been gone.

Daniel wouldn't have minded the sudden flashes if they'd accomplished anything, but they were so sudden and so severe that he couldn't sort out what he'd seen, and nothing but ghostly images were left behind after each incident.

That all changed when SG-1 was getting ready to go get some dinner. Daniel had just stood up when a violent burst of images sent him crashing to his knees.

"Daniel!" Jack and Sam cried, rushing to his side.

Caught in the midst of the barrage, Daniel didn't hear them. Nor did he feel their grip on his shoulders.

The flood of images ended at last. Daniel lifted a shaky hand to his head.

"Daniel? You okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I am now."

Daniel's teammates helped him to his chair.

"That looked like a bad one," Jack commented.

"Yeah, it was pretty intense. I saw. . . ." Daniel's eyes widened. "I remember! I saw it!"

"Saw what?"

"The Lost City or at least I _think_ it was the Lost City," Daniel babbled excitedly. "There were these . . . these huge spires, and balconies, and-and little ships flying overhead shaped kind of like cylinders with one end sloped downward."

"Whoa, Daniel. Slow down," Jack said from his kneeling position beside the chair. He laid a hand on the archeologist's shoulder.

Daniel looked at him intently. "It was the Lost City, Jack. I _know_ it."

"Did you see where it was?" Sam asked, getting excited.

The linguist shook his head. "But I'm getting close, Sam. I'm sure of it."

Jack got to his feet. "Okay, I think we should tell Hammond. Carter, Teal'c, stay with Daniel. I'll go talk to the general." He strode out of the office.

Daniel closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

"Do you have a headache?" Sam asked.

"Um . . . yeah, for a while now."

The major frowned. "You should have told us. You should have told Janet."

Daniel gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I doubt there's much she could do short of giving me a stronger painkiller, which would probably make me sleepy. It's okay. I've had worse headaches, like all the times I was ribboned."

Sam's frown deepened. "That doesn't mean that you should just grin and bear it. I'm going to call Janet and see what she can suggest."

"She's just going to insist that I go to the infirmary and take a bunch of tests, Sam."

Despite Daniel's words, Sam called the doctor, who did, indeed, insist that Daniel come to the infirmary, especially after she found out about his most recent attack. Once he got there, having complained the entire trip up, Janet flashed her trusty little penlight into his eyes, took his pulse and blood pressure, and asked a million pointed questions about how he was feeling. Then came the CT scan, which Daniel had known all along was coming. In the end, she couldn't find anything definitive, though she did say that the archeologist's blood pressure was elevated.

"Okay, can I go now?" Daniel asked, sounding a bit whiny. As Janet opened her mouth to speak, he added, "And if you say that you want to keep me here for observation, I _swear_ I'll do something violent."

The doctor smiled slightly. "No, I see no point in keeping you here, Daniel. You are free to go."

Daniel blinked in surprise. "I am?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh. Uhhh . . . okay. Good." He got off the exam table.

Janet handed him a bottle of pills. "These should help with the headache."

"Janet, I can't afford to get sleepy."

"Don't worry. You should be okay with those. It's not a heavy dose. It's just a bit stronger than the over-the-counter stuff. Just don't take any more than one every six hours."

"Okay."

Daniel joined his teammates, and they went to the commissary for a belated dinner. Partway through the meal, Daniel's eyes became fixated on Jack's SG-1 patch. He abruptly reached up and tore it off, then put it on the table and stared at it.

"Daniel? Whatcha doin'?" Jack asked.

"At."

"What?"

"At."

Jack pointed at the patch. "That?"

"That."

"That is At?"

Daniel nodded in affirmation.

"Okay, so, what exactly does that 'At' mean?"

Instead of answering, Daniel got up from the table and quickly left the commissary. Jack, Sam and Teal'c stared at each other for a moment, then hurriedly followed. The archeologist went to the control room, where he asked the technician to spin the ring on the Stargate.

As the ring turned, Daniel had the technician stop at each of the glyphs as they showed up on the monitor. He jotted something down on a piece of paper each time.

"Daniel, what--" Sam began.

"Just wait, Sam," the linguist interrupted distractedly.

General Hammond had joined them and was watching with just as much bewilderment as everyone else.

Finally, Daniel finished whatever it was that he had been doing.

"Okay, so are you going to clue us in now?" Jack asked.

"Each symbol on the Stargate has a corresponding sound, probably so that they can be spoken aloud," Daniel explained.

"Like an alphabet," Sam said.

"Yes." He looked at everyone. "Do you realize what this means?" Only blank stares answered him. He impatiently explained. "Praclarush Taonas! Six syllables! It isn't just the name of the planet, it's also the gate address. Look." He showed them what he'd written, which turned out to be all of the Stargate glyphs with single syllable words beside each of them. Daniel pointed to one. "This is 'nas'. And here is 'pra'. They're all here, every syllable of the name."

"And 'at' is the sound for Earth's symbol?" Sam asked.

Daniel nodded excitedly. "Yes!"

"Can you write down the address?" she asked. Daniel immediately did so and handed the paper to her.

Sam sat at one of the consoles and checked the gate address log. "Daniel, we dialed this address over two years ago, but we couldn't establish a wormhole. The gate must be buried."

"Lost in fire," Daniel murmured. "My vision. The Stargate must have been destroyed or buried by volcanic activity."

"But what we're looking for could still be there," Sam reasoned. She turned back to the computer. "I could use the address to calculate the planet's location in space, but we'll need a ship to get there."

"Prometheus," Daniel suggested.

Hammond shook his head. "I don't believe that the president would allow Prometheus to leave. It would be Earth's only defense should one of the Goa'uld choose to attack us, and he is very concerned by that vision you had about an armada of Goa'uld ships."

"Okay, then what about Osiris' Al'Kesh? It's still at Area 51, right?"

"Yes, it is," Sam confirmed.

The general nodded. "Very well. I will contact the president."

"And I need to start packing," Daniel announced, then turned on his heel and left.

"Start what?" Jack said in surprise. He took off after Daniel. "Hey! Exactly how long are we gonna be gone?!"

--------------------------------------------------

Jack, Sam and Teal'c gaped at Daniel as he hurriedly gathered bits and pieces of equipment, piling them all up in a corner of the room.

"Not exactly what I was thinking when he said that he had to pack," Jack said. "Carter, was I like that when this happened to me?"

"Sort of, sir. You did start doing things without knowing why."

"It appears that Daniel Jackson is preparing to make a device of some sort, just as O'Neill did," Teal'c surmised.

Sam shook her head. "Well, _I_ sure can't figure out what it's going to be. Daniel? Do you have any idea--"

"Nope! Not a clue," the archeologist called out in reply, not pausing in what he was doing. Then he did pause. "Well, not _no_ clue, just not much of one. For some reason, I keep flashing on a ring platform." Shrugging, Daniel returned to what he'd been doing.

"Well, I _am_ clueless," Jack stated. "I'm also getting dizzy watching him, not to mention hungry. We didn't finish our dinner."

At that moment, General Hammond came in. He watched Daniel with a surprised expression for a while, then turned to the others.

"The president has authorized the trip. However, the vice president has insisted on coming here to be filled in personally and assess the situation. He will be arriving in the morning."

That news succeeded in stopping Daniel. "We can't wait that long. We have to go as soon as possible."

"Can you tell me why, Doctor Jackson?"

"No, I just know that time is of the essence."

"I'm afraid that Vice President Kinsey won't accept that as a reason to leave before he gets here."

"Forget Kinsey," Jack said. "The president gave us the green light. That's all we need."

"I'm sorry, but I do not have the authority to let you leave before the vice president gets here, not unless an imminent threat becomes known."

With an exasperated sound, Daniel returned to his "packing". It was quite late before he finished. Janet, who wasn't about to leave the base until after this situation with Daniel was resolved, ordered him and his teammates to get some sleep.

Though Daniel did try to follow the doctor's orders, he found it almost impossible to rest. The dam that had been holding back the bulk of Ancients' knowledge was apparently cracking, and things were leaking through. A hodgepodge of images, words, and thoughts were slowly filling Daniel's mind. He was able to sort through the jumble enough to know that none of it had anything to do with the Lost City, but he also couldn't make use of any of it. It was too much, coming too quickly and too chaotically.

By the time morning arrived, Daniel's head felt like it was going to suffer a nuclear meltdown, and he was totally exhausted. Jack had insisted on staying in the room with him and had to keep him from falling when he got out of bed.

"Daniel?" the colonel asked softly in concern.

The archeologist sighed. "I guess there's no point in saying that I'm fine."

"No."

"Okay, I'm _not_ fine. In fact, I feel lousy."

"Which is exactly how you look."

"I just need a shower, some coffee, and a handful of those pills Janet gave me."

"Okay on the shower and the coffee, but if I let you O.D. on painkillers, the doc would stick a needle in me someplace I _really_ don't want to think about."

Daniel took his shower and got his coffee, and, thanks to the call Jack made to the infirmary while he was in the shower, he also got a visit from Janet. The doctor was extremely worried about the archeologist's condition and was not at all happy about the idea of him traipsing across the galaxy. Only the fact that Daniel absolutely had to go kept her from packing him off to the infirmary and keeping him there. She gave him a stronger painkiller for his headache, plus something he could take to help him sleep on the trip. Though she didn't tell him, the sleeping pills were a pretty high dosage. She wanted to make sure they worked.

The klaxons and the sound of an unauthorized gate activation sent Daniel and Jack to the control room. The caller turned out to be Bra'tac, whom Jack, Daniel and Hammond met in the gateroom.

"Master Bra'tac. It's good to see you again," the general greeted.

The Jaffa nodded. "I am afraid I am not the bearer of good news. We have had word from Jaffa loyal to our cause. Anubis is gathering the full force of his fleet. He will be here in three days."

"Oh, that's just _wonderful_," Jack muttered.

"The ships in my vision," Daniel said. "They _were_ heading for Earth."

Jack turned to Hammond. "Sir, permission to go get that Al'Kesh immediately. It's going to take us a while to get to Nevada, bring the ship back here, and load all that stuff into it."

"Of what do you speak?" Bra'tac asked.

"Well, there's been some stuff going on since your last visit," Jack answered. "To make it quick, we're pretty sure we know where the Lost City is, and we're preparing to go there."

"This is, indeed, good news. But you must hurry."

"Which is what I've been saying all along!" Daniel exclaimed in irritation.

Hammond nodded. "Let's go to the briefing room so that you can fill us in on what you know, Master Bra'tac. I will then call the president and tell him the news."

The three of them went up to the briefing room, where they were joined by Sam and Teal'c.

"Why is Anubis picking now to attack us?" Sam asked.

"I do not know the reason why," Bra'tac admitted. "The Jaffa who spoke to me could not answer that."

"It's because of the repository," Daniel said. "Anubis knows that we got there first. He must believe that we've learned the lochus of the Lost City." He turned to Hammond. "Sir, noo indeeo to leave now."

Everyone stared at Daniel, who didn't bother to translate. They could figure it out for themselves. Bra'tac, not knowing what was going on, was completely confused.

"I'll explain it to you later," Jack told him.

Hammond called the president to let him know what was happening. He learned that Kinsey would arrive at the mountain in about fifteen minutes. The president was going to call him and fill him in on everything.

While they waited for the vice president to get there, everyone told Bra'tac about what was going on. The Master Jaffa was excited by the thought of the knowledge that now resided within Daniel's mind, but was concerned by the threat that knowledge was posing to the archeologist's life.

When Kinsey arrived, he came into the room with the same sour expression that he often wore. "So, you did it again," he said. "Yet again, you've screwed up and put this planet at risk."

"No, what we've probably done is _save_ this planet again," Jack countered. "If we hadn't gotten to that repository first, all that knowledge would now be in Anubis' hands, and we'd be in really deep trouble."

"Instead, you've incurred his wrath and brought him and his fleet down upon us. And all you have," Kinsey turned his glare upon Daniel, "all Doctor _Jackson_ has is an empty promise that he can lead us to this so-called Lost City of the Ancients." He snorted derisively. "Like I believe that. You're just trying to cover up your mistake."

Daniel uttered something to Kinsey in Ancient, and, though no one understood what he'd said, it didn't sound very complimentary.

"Whatever it was that Daniel just said, I agree with him," Jack stated. "Kinsey, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You're an ass." He started to rise. "Now, if you will excuse us, we have a very long flight ahead of us, and we've wasted enough time with you."

Kinsey glared at him. "You're not going anywhere, Colonel, not until I say so."

"With all due respect, Mister Vice President, the president has already authorized SG-1 to go," Hammond responded, his voice and expression making it clear that he deemed Kinsey worthy of no respect at all. He turned to SG-1. "You have a go. Major Carter, I suggest that you call Area 51 and let them know that you're going to be getting the Al'Kesh."

"Yes, sir," Sam stood up and left the room.

Furious, Kinsey also stood. "I want to call the president immediately."

Hammond waved his hand in the direction of his office. "I believe you know where the phone is."

Kinsey stormed past them and went to the office, slamming the door behind him. The general turned to Daniel.

"Doctor Jackson, are you all right?" he asked, not liking the parlor of the archeologist's skin.

"Eetium, sir. Um, I mean yes. Well, not really, but I guess I'm as well as can be expected. Egoo indeeo. . . ." Daniel stopped and sighed. Pronouncing his words slowly and firmly, he started again. "I need to gather a few more things for the trip."

"Of course. Teal'c, please accompany him."

Once Daniel and Teal'c were gone, Hammond turned to Jack. "He's getting worse."

"Yes, sir," Jack replied in a subdued voice.

"Daniel Jackson does not look well," Bra'tac observed.

"He looks like hell, and I'm betting that he feels like hell, too. I know for a fact that he got virtually no sleep last night, and he looked like death warmed over when he got up."

"Do you think that he is physically capable of making this trip?" the general asked.

"Probably not, but we really don't have a choice, now do we. Out of all of us, Daniel is the one who _has_ to go."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Mister President, I must protest this!" Kinsey exclaimed into the phone in Hammond's office. "I don't trust SG-1. They could be up to anything. How do we really know that they're being honest about this? It might just be a ploy to save their own skins."

"Oh, come on, Bob. Get real. After all the times they've risked themselves to save this planet, you actually think that they'd turn tail and run now?" A humorous thought popped into the president's head. "Hey, here's an idea, Bob. Since you're so mistrusting of their motives, why don't you go with them, just to make sure they're really going to do what they say they are?"

Kinsey stammered out a word or two before replying, "Mister President, though you know that I'd gladly sacrifice my life for the sake of our country, going with SG-1 would not be a wise use of my abilities. After all, I'm a politician, not a soldier."

"You got _that_ right," Hayes muttered under his breath. More loudly, he said, "Since this planet that SG-1 wants to go to may be the only hope Earth has, I'd have to be an idiot not to let them go. So, just get on a plane and get back here. It's a safe bet that things are going to start getting hot pretty soon."

--------------------------------------------------

Sam came storming into Daniel's office, surprising the rest of SG-1 and Bra'tac.

"You're not going to believe this!" she exclaimed. "They took it apart!"

"They took what apart?" Jack asked, getting a sinking feeling in his gut.

"The Al'Kesh! Well, not the whole thing. They were studying some of the systems, and the only way to do it properly was to disassemble them."

"And how long is it going to take for them to put it all back together?"

"A good sixteen to eighteen hours, if not longer."

Jack turned to Teal'c. "T, when we get to Area 51, remind me to kill someone."

"We can't afford to lose that much time," Daniel said.

"I bet you could speed them up, Carter," Jack stated. "Okay, here's what we'll do. We'll load all that stuff Daniel gathered on a truck and take it with us to Peterson. Then we'll take a cargo plane to Nevada. That way, when they do get the Al'Kesh put back together, all we'll have to do is load the equipment onto it, and we can leave straight from there."

"I will go with you," Bra'tac said. "If you are truly going to the Lost City of the Ancients, I wish to see it."

"Sure, why not? The more, the merrier."

A while later, SG-1 and Bra'tac were on a military plane to Nevada. The Jaffa Master was not impressed by the aircraft and complained about its primitiveness.

When they landed on the airstrip at Area 51, a car was waiting for them, as well as a truck for the equipment. SG-1 and Bra'tac were taken to the main facility and greeted by Colonel Raines, the man presently in charge.

"Okay, so who's the idiot that decided to take the Al'Kesh apart?" Jack asked.

"Well, if we'd known that the fate of the planet was going to depend on the thing, we wouldn't have done so," Raines snapped.

Jack prepared to say something even more cutting, but Sam jumped in. "How far have they gotten on putting everything back together, sir?" she asked Raines.

"They've made good strides, but it's still going to be a while."

"Maybe I can help."

Raines nodded. "It's in Hanger 3. I'm sure you know where that is."

Sam hurried off to give the other scientists a hand. Jack glanced at Daniel and saw that he looked even paler than before.

"Is there someplace we can rest and wait for them to get finished?" Jack asked Raines.

"Of course. We have a VIP lounge."

As soon as they reached the lounge, Daniel collapsed onto the couch. He closed his eyes and laid his head against the backrest. He didn't have to be psychic to know that the other three occupants of the room were watching him with deep concern.

"Do you need another pain pill?" Jack asked.

"It's not time yet, not for another few hours."

"Then maybe you should lie down, get some sleep."

"I don't think I _could_ sleep."

"Didn't the doc give you some sleeping pills?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to take one until after we're on our way. They'll probably completely knock me out."

"And what's wrong with that? We're going to be waiting a while, and there sure isn't anything important that you need to do in the meantime."

"Maybe later. I can try to get some sleep without them."

Daniel laid down on the couch and closed his eyes, but his belief that he wouldn't be able to sleep proved true as the minutes ticked by. He kept trying, though, just so that Jack wouldn't bug him.

They were served lunch by an airman, but the archeologist had little appetite. By the time he was due for his next pain pill, he was more than ready for it. It didn't succeed in completely getting rid of his headache, but it helped some.

As the hours passed, Jack became increasingly worried about Daniel. The archeologist was barely speaking, and the few times that he did, half the words were spoken in Ancient. Every now and then, there was this frightening look in his eyes, as if his mind was no longer with them. Every time that happened, Jack was afraid that Daniel wouldn't come back to them.

It was late afternoon when Jack finally put his foot down and ordered Daniel to take one of the sleeping pills.

"If I take one now, I'd probably still be asleep when it's time to go," the younger man objected.

"So? If you are, Teal'c here can always carry you, if he has to."

Daniel gave him a sour look, then sighed and nodded. He really did need to get some sleep, and his head was killing him, even with the medication.

Jack did not fail to notice the tremor in Daniel's hands as he swallowed the pill with some water. It took only about half an hour for the drug to knock the archeologist out. He was still out when, several hours later, Sam came in, announcing that the Al'Kesh was ready to go and that the equipment and supplies were being loaded. She looked over at the couch and smiled slightly.

"I'm glad to see that he's getting some sleep. I hate to wake him."

"Well, we wouldn't _have_ to," Jack responded. "I did mention something about Teal'c carrying him."

Knowing that Daniel wouldn't appreciate being carried around like a sleeping child, Sam went over to him. She knelt by the couch and touched her friend's arm. "Daniel? Daniel, it's time to get up." There was no reply. Sam shook his arm. "Come on, Daniel. Wake up. It's time to go."

The archeologist stirred, his eye remaining closed. A little smile curved his lips. "Mmm. Can't we sleep in, Sam?" His smile changed to one that could not be mistaken as anything but sultry. "After all," he said in a low, sexy voice, "you and I didn't get much sleep last night."

Sam promptly turned crimson, realizing that Daniel was still asleep and was dreaming of them being together. She glanced up at the others. The grin on Jack's face made her turn even redder, and that eyebrow of Teal'c's wasn't helping either. Bra'tac's face was unreadable, but the twinkle in his eyes was not.

Sam looked back down at Daniel. "Daniel! Wake up!" she shouted.

The linguist started violently, his eyes blinking open. "Wha . . . what?" He looked at everyone. "What's going on?"

"Time to go, lover boy," Jack replied, still grinning.

Daniel's eyebrows knit in confusion over Jack's form of address. "Huh?"

"Come on, Daniel," Sam said, not meeting his eyes. "The Al'Kesh is ready."

"Oh. Okay."

With a little help from Sam, Daniel got to his feet, swaying slightly as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "I hate sleeping pills," he mumbled.

"Yeah, well, they did the trick, which is all that matters," Jack responded. "You needed the sleep, Daniel. Once we get going, you can lay back down. I'll even let you have Osiris' bedroom with that big, cushy bed, that is if they didn't take it out." Jack's smile returned. "Maybe Carter would like to join you."

"Sir!" Sam exclaimed, blushing again.

Daniel blinked several times, perplexed. "Did I miss something?"

Face flaming, Sam replied. "Nothing. You didn't miss anything. Come on."

Sam helped guide Daniel to the Al'Kesh. The sleeping pill still had him partially in its grip, so he wasn't quite all there. As soon as they got onboard, Sam insisted that he lay back down. Fortunately, the bed in Osiris' chambers had not be taken out yet. Tired from not enough sleep, Sam was wishing that she really could join him in that big bed.

Once Daniel had fallen back asleep, the astrophysicist joined the others in the cockpit.

Jack turned to her. "Is Sleeping Beauty all tucked in?"

"Yes, sir. It didn't take long for him to fall back asleep. Those must have been really heavy-duty sleeping pills that Janet gave him." Sam looked out the window and saw that they had already left Earth's orbit and would soon be entering hyperspace. Even as she had that thought, they made the jump.

"So, how long is it going to take us to get there?" Jack asked.

"I'm not sure, sir. I have some ideas for boosting the power of the engines, but I honestly can't say how much time it's going to gain us. I'm afraid, though, that, no matter what I do, we're not going to get there and back before Anubis reaches Earth."

"Well, then I guess we'd better pray that there's something left of Earth by the time we get back."

"Colonel, there is one thing that I didn't tell you before. The Asgard transporter is off-line. It was going to take another five or six hours to get it back together, and I decided that we couldn't afford to lose the time."

"Okay, so what do we do about that?"

"I don't have time to deal with it right now. I have to work on the engines. Once I'm finished, I can turn my attention to the transporter, although, working alone, it'll take at least half a day for me to finish it. It's an incredibly complex piece of technology. We might just have to rely on the rings. I sure hope there a platform where we're going."

Sam got busy on the engines immediately, Bra'tac lending her his knowledge and expertise. They'd been at it for several hours when Jack ordered Sam to take a break and eat something.

Munching on a sandwich, Sam went in to check on Daniel. She sat on the bed and watched him sleep, reaching out to brush a hand through his hair.

"I love you, Daniel," she murmured. "I'm so sorry that I was too blind and stupid to see it before. I was so afraid that I'd lose you. And now--" Sam's voice choked off. "Don't you die on me, Daniel. Please."

Needing to be near him, Sam took her shoes off and lay down on the bed, her forehead almost touching his. She took hold of his lax hand in both of hers. For several minutes, she lay there, just looking at his sleeping face. Slowly, her eyes drooped shut, and she drifted into dreamless sleep.

--------------------------------------------------

Sam awoke slowly. Her eyes opened to the sight of a pair of intensely blue orbs gazing into hers from mere inches away.

"Daniel!" Sam exclaimed softly, sitting up. That's when she realized that someone had covered her with a blanket. She really hoped it hadn't been the colonel. That would be just too embarrassing.

"I'm sorry. I guess I dozed off," Sam said, feeling a little flustered. "I didn't get much sleep, and--"

"Sam, why are you apologizing?" Daniel interrupted with a smile. "It was a really nice surprise waking up with you beside me."

The major blushed slightly.

Daniel's smile turned teasing and just a bit suggestive. "Although I have to admit that, in the dreams I've had of us waking up in the same bed, we were wearing a lot less clothing."

That comment brought more heat to Sam's face, but it wasn't out of embarrassment or shyness. "They sound like very interesting dreams," she murmured.

Daniel's eyes darkened, his voice lowering an octave. "Oh, yeah. You could say that."

Before Sam could respond, either with words or actions, there was a light knock on the door.

"Come on in, Jack," Daniel called.

The door opened and Jack looked in hesitantly. "Ah, so you're both awake, huh." He grinned. "Have a nice nap, Carter?"

Sam's blush returned. "Yes, sir." She looked at her watch and saw that she'd been asleep for nearly five hours. "Crap!" She leapt out of the bed. "Sir, you shouldn't have let me sleep this long. I have to keep working on the engines."

"Carter, you can't work well if you're exhausted. You needed the sleep."

Sam knew that he was right, but hated the thought of having lost five hours. "I need to get back to work on them."

As Sam hurried out of the room, Daniel sat up. Jack's eyes turned to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. The headache's not nearly as bad. I guess I needed the sleep, too."

"Yes, you did."

Daniel pulled the covers aside and swung his feet over the side of the bed.

"Don't you think you should get more rest?" Jack asked uncertainly.

Daniel looked at his watch, stunned at what it said. "Uh, no, I think I've slept plenty enough for now, Jack. I feel fine. Actually, I think I could manage to eat something now."

Daniel got up and made himself a sandwich. Jack did as well, and the two of them had their meal together. Their conversation steered clear of anything to do with what was happening to Daniel, something for which the archeologist was grateful. He knew that Jack was still determined to believe that, one way or another, everything was going to turn out all right, which meant that Daniel couldn't talk to him about things that needed to be discussed.

Once Daniel was finished eating, he joined Teal'c in the cockpit.

"You appear well rested, Daniel Jackson," the Jaffa said.

"Well, I should, considering how long I slept."

"Then you are feeling better?"

"Yes, although I know it's only temporary." Daniel looked over his shoulder and saw that, for the moment, they were alone, Jack having gone to check in on Sam and Bra'tac. His gaze turned to the Jaffa. "Teal'c, we haven't really talked since things started going downhill with my . . . condition. There are some things I need to talk about. I can't talk about them with Sam. It upsets her too much. And Jack, well, he's still convinced that everything is going to be all right. He wouldn't want to listen to me."

"Of what do you need to speak?"

"If . . . I don't make it, and if it's at all possible, I want to be buried in Egypt, in Abydos, to be exact. I know that the Abydos here on Earth isn't much like Sha're's home, but it's as close as I could get." Daniel smiled a little. "I was even there once, many years ago while I was on a dig." The smile vanished. "Those were good times, like that year I spent with Sha're and her people." A faint shadow of the smile returned. "If the Egyptian government won't go for it, maybe you can sneak my ashes over there and scatter them on the Great Pyramid or something. Actually, that would be rather appropriate considering that it was my theories on the Great Pyramid that ended up getting me into the Stargate Program."

Teal'c met his gaze. "I promise you, Daniel Jackson, that, if you should die, your remains will come to rest in Egypt."

Daniel looked into the Jaffa's eyes, seeing pain and sorrow there. He nodded. "Thank you." He paused for a long moment. "Teal'c, don't . . . don't let Jack keep blaming himself for this. I know that he's going to. He feels like it should have been him. I made a mistake in telling him that it _would_ have been him if I hadn't pushed him aside, although, even if I hadn't told him, Jack would still blame himself for not stopping it."

"O'Neill is a great and caring leader. He believes that it is better for him to be the one to suffer or die rather than the people he commands."

"Yeah."

"He also loves you as a brother."

Daniel simply nodded, his gaze dropping.

Teal'c's voice grew very soft. "As do I."

Daniel looked up into Teal'c's eyes and was surprised to see the tiniest glimmer of tears there. "Teal'c. . . ." he began, his voice failing before he could say anything else.

"I do not know if you remember what I said to you when you lay dying from the radiation poisoning, so I will say it again. You have been one of the greatest friends I have ever had. I did not think that such a thing would be possible, not when I was responsible for so much of the pain in your life, but I am grateful that it is so. You have taught me much in these years that we have been together. You showed me the true meaning of mercy and forgiveness. I know that I was not strong enough to give forgiveness to my enemies in the way that you could, but, before I met you, forgiveness for an enemy was not something I could have given at all."

Daniel's gaze had fallen to his lap again. He didn't know what to say.

"I will be forever in your debt, Daniel Jackson, for your friendship, for your trust and faith in me, for the things you have taught me, and for my life and the lives of my son and Master Bra'tac."

Daniel shook his head. "For your life? Teal'c you've saved my life a lot more times than I did yours."

"This is not true, Daniel Jackson. It was because of your impassioned pleas in my defense at the Cor-ai on Cartago that the Byrsa began to accept that I was not the same man I used to be."

"Teal'c, what I said didn't do any good. They were still going to execute you even after everything I told them."

"Yet, would Hanno's eyes have been truly opened at the end if he had not heard your words first? I think not. Even if this were not the case, yet again you saved my life when, despite your physical condition and all the opposition you faced, you fought to convince Doctor MacKenzie and Doctor Fraiser that I had been infected with that device of Machello's. If your determination had wavered, I would now be dead, just as I would be dead if you had not endured the interrogation and torture of the Bedrosians when they attempted to find out about me from you. And if it had not been for your success in getting the DHD from the Russians when my pattern was trapped within the buffer of the Stargate, I would have surely died." Teal'c's gaze deepened. "And I will never forget that you sacrificed your greatest hope to free Sha're from Amaunet when you destroyed Thor's Hammer."

Daniel closed his eyes and turned away. "If I hadn't done it, Jack or Sam would have."

"Yes, but you did do it, though you could have asked that another do it instead."

Daniel's gaze went to the view out the window.

"There is something else that you wish to say," Teal'c guessed, not phrasing it as a question.

A little sigh escaped Daniel's lips. "For a very long time, I had a lot of regrets about my life, about Sha're, about the things I failed to accomplish. It wasn't until I remembered how truly powerless I was to help while I was ascended that I realized I _did_ accomplish something in my life, that I _did_ make a difference. Ever since I took the download from the repository, I've had time to think about everything. I still have regrets, a lot of them, actually, but I'm . . . content with what I've done with my life, with what I've managed to achieve." He turned to Teal'c. "I want you and everyone else to know that, if this really is it for me, it's enough," he paused, his eyes drifting off to where Sam was as he thought about what they could have shared, "even if I do wish that I'd had . . . something more."

Hearing the tinge of sad regret in his voice, Teal'c knew what Daniel was referring to with his last statement, and it was a wish that he, too, had for his friend.

The hours dragged by as the Al'Kesh continued to make its way toward their destination. The problem was that it was making it too slowly. They were over twelve hours into the journey when a frustrated Sam plopped down into one of the folding chairs that they'd brought.

"No luck?" Jack asked.

"Not much, sir. We've managed to increase the power some, maybe enough to shave half a day or so off, but it's not enough."

"Um, couldn't you use the Naquadah generator?" Daniel inquired. "I remember reading the file about what happened when you first met Warrick. You boosted the power of his engines with a Naquadah generator. And didn't you do it again to help him in that race?"

Sam's expression turned thoughtful. "To be honest, I didn't think about that." She shook her head. "It probably wouldn't work, though. The Sebrus used liquid nitrogen to fuel an ion-propulsion system. The Al'Kesh engines are completely different."

"Hey, it's worth a try, isn't it?" Jack said. "Well, as long as you don't blow us up in the process."

Sam nodded, her frustration being replaced with hope. "Yes, it is." She made a move to get up, but Jack stopped her.

"Ah! You've been at it nonstop for hours, Carter. Just sit and rest for a while, eat something."

Sam was about to object, but changed her mind. Actually, she could use something to eat.

Sam, Daniel and Jack shared an early lunch. They were nearly finished when Daniel spoke a word in Ancient. The light conversation came to an abrupt halt.

"Well, we all knew it was going to start again sooner or later," the archeologist said quietly.

Sam got to her feet, a faint look of distress on her face. "I need to get back to the engines."

Jack watched her quickly leave. "You should have let me be the one, Daniel," he murmured after a moment. Then he, too, walked away.

Sam worked on the engines for the rest of the day, only stopping when Jack ordered her to get some sleep. The colonel wanted Daniel to take another sleeping pill, but, this time, no amount of harassing would budge the archeologist. Something was nagging at him, a feeling that he should be doing something, but he had no idea what it was. He kept hoping that it would come to him.

Anubis would reach Earth day after tomorrow, and if they failed to stop him, the planet would be doomed. What if they got all the way to Praclarush Taonas only to discover that the Lost City was gone, destroyed thousands of years ago? What if they got there and it turned out that the Lost City had never even been there at all?

Trying not to think about those possibilities, Daniel attempted to get a little sleep. He managed to get a few minutes here and there, though the gradually increasing headache and the return of his other symptoms made it progressively harder as the night wore on. He was the first to wake up and was making some coffee when Sam appeared.

"Hey. Get some sleep?" he asked her.

"Yeah, some. What about you?"

"A little bit." Daniel glanced about. Not seeing the box of pastries they'd brought, he asked about them, stopping abruptly when he realized that he'd spoken several of the words in Ancient.

"I think Teal'c and Bra'tac finished them up last night," Sam told him, trying not to get too upset about the words spoken in Ancient.

Despite what had just happened, Daniel had to laugh at the announcement. "Bra'tac?"

"Uh huh. It appears that he's got quite a sweet tooth. Who would have guessed?"

"Good morning, campers," Jack greeted, coming out of the room they had set up as the sleeping quarters. "What's for breakfast?"

"Not pastries," Daniel answered. "Our two Jaffa ate them all."

"I _knew_ we should have brought more!"

"Sir, you took the entire tray from the commissary," Sam reminded her C.O., "not to mention the one you snatched out of Siler's hand as he was bringing it up to his mouth."

"Yeah, well, he wasn't going on a several thousand light-year long trip."

"Well, there's always powdered eggs, Colonel," Sam suggested.

"And freeze-dried bacon," Daniel added.

Jack's expression told the two scientists what he thought about that idea.

The three of them managed to find something to eat for breakfast. They were joined by Teal'c, whom Jack gave a bad time about eating all the pastries, making comments about the Jaffa getting fat if he kept scarfing down the sweets like that. Teal'c pretty much ignored him.

After breakfast, Sam got back to work on the engines. By early afternoon, she'd had only a little luck. Although she was certain that there had to be a way to do it, she was having difficulty marrying the Naquadah generator to the Al'Kesh engines. Of course, it would have been easier if the engines weren't running, but they certainly couldn't stop. Every minute counted. Anubis would reach Earth tomorrow.

Daniel was starting to get bad again. It seemed to be progressing even faster this time. More than half of what he said was in Ancient, and he was spacing off a lot. Jack had convinced him to take another sleeping pill, but the drug appeared to be losing its effectiveness. He'd awakened after only three hours and never got back to sleep. Worse than that, it didn't seem to help any.

Later that afternoon, Sam finally succeeded in hooking the generator up to the engines and keeping them running smoothly. There was a substantial increase in the speed of the craft, though not as much as she was hoping they'd get. Maybe with a bit of fine-tuning, she could get even more velocity. She devoted a couple more hours to it, and got a fraction more speed. She was determined to get even more.

Deciding to take a break first and get some dinner, Sam left the engine room. Bra'tac was in the pilot's seat, Teal'c and Jack busy fixing dinner. Daniel was standing between the two seats in the cockpit, staring out the window. Sam walked up to him. What she saw frightened her. Daniel's face was empty of all expression, his gaze seemingly focused inward upon some deep and unknowable thing within his mind.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired softly. There was no response, the archeologist's eyes remaining distant and unmoving.

"He has been thus for quite some time now," Bra'tac told her. "His mind appears to no longer be with us, as if he is looking at something that he alone can see."

Sam felt her chest tighten as the horrifying realization came to her that Daniel wasn't going to make it. He'd never survive the days they still had left to travel. He would be dead long before they reached Praclarush Taonas. No! She couldn't accept that!

Sam turned Daniel toward her. "Daniel? You can't leave us. We still need you." When there was no reply and the archeologist's eyes remained vacant, Sam tightened her grip on his shoulders and shook him a little. "Daniel, _please_. You have to hang on."

Daniel's eyes blinked very slowly. When the lids opened, there was awareness in the blue depths.

"Sam?"

"Hey. You okay?"

"Um . . . eeti. . . ." Daniel stopped himself before completing the Ancient word, giving a little sigh. "Did I zone out again?"

"Yes, and you really had me worried. How are you doing?"

"Tua . . . you want the truth?"

Sam nodded.

"Not so euge." Daniel closed his eyes upon realizing that he'd yet again spoken Ancient. He tried to tell Sam that he didn't think that he'd be able to speak English for much longer, but, ironically, almost half his words were in Ancient. Looking at Sam's expression, he could tell that she was extremely worried.

Trying not to show how scared she was, Sam said, "Come on. Let's get some dinner."

Daniel left with Sam, knowing that the odds were not good that he'd manage to make it to their destination alive.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Daniel frequently felt the eyes of his three teammates upon him as he ate. He knew that they were really worried. He was, too. Sleep was no longer helping him, his downward slide now going unabated. The Ancient knowledge in his mind was filling every part of his awareness. He was seeing so much, the knowledge of countless millions of years flowing into his brain like water flowing from the floodgates of a dam. It was taking all of Daniel's willpower not to get lost in it, not to be pulled under by the current and never surface. Sometimes, it felt like he was no longer even in his own body anymore, as if he was soaring free through the infinite depths of the universe. When that happened, time passed without his awareness, minutes going by in the blink of an eye. He'd lost over an hour this last time.

By the end of dinner, Daniel had given up trying to speak English since nearly every other word he uttered was in Ancient. He'd resorted to writing down what he wanted to say. The linguist knew that, very soon, he would no longer be able to do that either. They should have brought someone to help translate.

Once she'd finished eating, Sam got busy on the engines again, feverishly trying to get every scrap of speed she could out of them. Bra'tac joined her in an effort to help however he could. The major politely but firmly refused when Jack told her to go to bed at a little after midnight, reminding him that it was now Thursday, the day Anubis was due to reach Earth.

It was going on 4 a.m. when Sam and Bra'tac finally accepted that they weren't going to be able to get any more speed out of the engines. Sam carefully calculated how long it would take them to cover the remaining distance to the planet. What she learned was not good news. She redid the figures several times before accepting that they were right.

She went into the sleeping quarters. Jack was lying on one of the cots, his eyes on Daniel, who was sitting on another cot, yet again zoned out.

"We're coaxing everything we can out of the engines, but I figured it out, and we're still two days away," Sam announced. A feeling of helplessness began to overwhelm her. "I don't know what else to do. Anubis could reach Earth at any moment."

Daniel blinked and looked up at her. He then stood unexpectedly and walked out of the room. Exchanging a glance, Sam and Jack followed. The archeologist went to the room where they'd stored the things he had gathered at the SGC. He grabbed a few things, and took them to the engine room, muttering something in Ancient. As his two teammates watched, he began to do something with the engines.

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Sam asked.

Daniel pulled out the notebook he'd been writing in and scribbled something, handing it to the astrophysicist, who read it out loud.

"'Need to go faster.'" She looked back at Daniel.

"Something tells me that we're going to get an extra burst of speed," Jack commented.

"Um . . . yeah, I think so, sir. I just hope it's enough."

For the next hour, Sam watched Daniel work, trying to keep track of what he was doing. But it was impossible. He was working too quickly, making changes and adjustments that Sam, with all her intelligence, couldn't keep up with or understand. She did not question him when he undid all her hard work by removing the Naquadah generator.

At last, Daniel went to the bank of control crystals. He quickly began rearranging them, replacing some with their supply of spare crystals.

Standing back, Daniel said something in Ancient.

"What?" Sam asked.

Instead of writing down the translation, Daniel got her zat gun. He fired it at the crystals. Immediately, the pitch of the engines increased. Handing the zat to her, the archeologist fiddled with the crystals a bit more, then closed the panel. He left the room without a word. Sam followed him to the cockpit.

"Our speed has increased greatly," Teal'c announced.

"No Goa'uld ship can attain such speeds," Bra'tac stated with a touch of awe in his voice.

Sam took a look at the readings. "Oh my God. Wow. At this speed, we'll be at our destination in no time."

"That's great," Jack said. "Maybe we'll make it after all. Great work, Dan. . . . Daniel!"

The colonel's sudden shout made everyone turn to see Jack catch the archeologist as his legs gave out. Sam jumped forward and helped lower Daniel to a seated position on the floor. Horrified, she watched as his eyes rolled back into his head, his body going limp.

"No!" Jack yelled. He shook the younger man. "Daniel, don't you quit on us." Getting no response, Jack slapped Daniel's cheek rather hard. The slap did the trick. Daniel's eyes blinked a few times, focusing on the colonel. He said something in Ancient, which Jack guessed was probably not a compliment.

"Go ahead and curse me out all you like, Danny Boy," Jack told him. "I'm not letting you poop out on us. You've still got a job to do."

Teal'c got out of the co-pilot's seat so that they could put Daniel there. SG-1 all watched the archeologist like a hawk, making sure that he didn't start to lose consciousness again.

It took less than an hour to reach the planet. However, when they got there, it was to a sight that none of them wanted to see.

"Oh, this doesn't look good," Sam said, her heart sinking. "The surface is almost completely covered by lava flows."

"How could anyone have lived in that hell?" Jack asked.

"A star becomes a red giant like this near the end of its life. A million years ago, this planet may have looked very much like Earth."

"Carter, are you saying that we're a million years too late?"

"Probably more."

Everyone turned to Daniel, whose eyes were unblinkingly fixed upon the planet. Sam remembered the words he'd translated back on Earth. "Lost in fire." Had their hopes been lost in fire a million years ago?

Bra'tac spent the next several minutes scanning the entire surface of the planet for something, looking for some tiny piece of land that had remained untouched by the destruction, but there was nothing.

"I have scanned the entire surface," he announced.

Again, everyone looked at Daniel, who seemed unaware of what was going on.

"Daniel did pack the Haz-Mat suits for us," Sam said. "My guess is that he knew the condition of the planet and knew that we would have to go down there."

"Down to what?!" Jack exclaimed. "There's nothing there anymore."

Just then, Daniel opened a holoscreen showing the surface of the planet. "Taonas," he murmured.

Everybody stared at the holoscreen as it zoomed in on something.

"There's a small anomaly on the surface here," Sam, said, pointing at it, "like a bubble."

"Is it a cavern?" Bra'tac asked.

"It looks like a perfectly formed half-sphere of molten rock."

"Perhaps it is a force field protecting the city, which has now been covered over," Teal'c suggested.

"Too small to have a city in there, and we aren't getting any energy readings from it," Sam responded.

"Perhaps the shield has since failed."

Knowing that they couldn't afford to just give up, Jack said, "We need to check it out."

As Daniel, Sam, Jack and Teal'c got into their Haz-Mat suits, Bra'tac took the ship in close to the surface of the planet to hover over the dome.

"I have found a place where the crust may be thin enough for the rings to penetrate," he called out. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, just a sec!" Jack called back. He and the others hurried to the ring platform, putting on their helmets. Daniel had to stop to take off his glasses first so that they wouldn't get knocked off by the helmet. He laid them off to the side.

"Okay, go for it, Bra'tac," Jack said as soon as they were ready.

Seconds later, SG-1 was standing within a cavern. A dark red light cast everything in an ominous glow.

"Can you still hear me?" asked Bra'tac's voice over the radio.

"Yes, Bra'tac, Verizon can still hear you," Jack quipped.

"What is Verison?" the Master Jaffa asked.

"I'll tell you later."

"Very well. I will move a safe distance and return on your signal."

Jack, Sam and Teal'c all turned on their flashlights. Daniel stepped forward, apparently knowing where he was going. The others followed him, looking around at the eerie surroundings as they passed stalactites and stalagmites.

Sam checked a reading on one of her scanners. "The radiation level is pretty high."

"It does, indeed, appear that a shield once protected this structure," Teal'c said.

"It's possible that the rings compromised the dome's integrity. We shouldn't stay too long."

"Oh, what a shame," Jack remarked sarcastically. "I just _love_ the decor. This whole Dante's Inferno look is so rad."

At last, the team reached a chamber. At its center was something that looked an awful lot like a throne sitting on a dais.

"This facility does not appear operational," Teal'c stated.

Sam looked around. "I don't know about you guys, but, right now, I'm kinda hoping this isn't the Lost City."

Daniel stepped up to the throne.

"Daniel, be careful," Sam called out.

Acting like he didn't hear her, the archeologist sat on the chair, which instantly started glowing blue, as did the dais.

"Daniel. I'm not so sure this is such a good idea," Jack told him.

Ignoring him, Daniel put his left hand on the armrest, touching what looked like some kind of control pad. A force field abruptly activated, and he took off his helmet.

Sam checked the scanner in her hand. "The atmosphere is safe."

Daniel was using the strange, gelatinous control pad on the end of the armrest again. The footrest of the chair rose as its back reclined. The rest of SG-1 took off their helmets. A moment later, a holographic projection appeared overhead.

"It's a map of the galaxy," Sam said, gazing up at it. There were hundreds of brightly glowing dots. "I wonder if these are all the planets the Ancients colonized."

The view of the projection changed to show a solar system.

"That's our solar system," Sam announced.

The image zoomed in on one of the planets.

"Earth."

"That does not appear to be Earth," Teal'c said.

"No, it is Earth," Sam confirmed, "before thirty million years of continental drift had its effect on the way things look." She looked at the man seated in the chair. "Why are you showing us this, Daniel?"

"Terre Atlantus," Daniel responded.

Sam's eyebrows rose. "Terra? That's another word for Earth. Atlantus? My God, do you think he means Atlantis?"

"The lost city of Atlantis?" Teal'c questioned. "Is that not a myth?"

"Apparently not," Jack said.

Sam looked at Daniel and pointed at the hologram. "Are you saying that the Lost City of the Ancients is on Earth?" When the archeologist did not answer, she looked back at the hologram.

Sam pointed at one of the continents. "Antarctica," she murmured, thinking of the location where the second Stargate was found.

"Subo glacius," Daniel said.

Jack looked at him. "Okay, so what does _that_ mean?"

"Subo glacius. Subo glacius," Sam muttered. "I know that 'sub' is Latin, meaning 'under' or 'underneath'."

"'Glacius' bears a resemblance to the word 'glacier'." Teal'c pointed out.

"Glacier? Ice?" Sam looked at Daniel again. "Under the ice? The city we've been looking for is in Antarctica, under the ice? It's been on Earth the whole time?"

"You mean to say we came all this way for nothing?!" Jack exclaimed.

Daniel shook his head. He pressed the control pad again. As the chair returned to its original position, he put his helmet back on. Guessing that the force field was going to be disabled, the rest of SG-1 quickly put theirs on, too. Daniel rose from the chair and went to the edge of the dais. He waved his hand over one spot. A panel slid open and an object that looked like a cluster of glowing orange crystals rose up. Daniel pulled it out, causing the protective force field to disappear. He handed the object to Sam.

"Power source," she murmured.

"Here. Give it to me," Jack said, taking the device.

Suddenly, a cracking sound from above their heads turned SG-1's attention upward. Realizing that the dome was failing, they hurried away, dust and chunks of rock falling down all around them.

"Bra'tac, we're on our way back," Jack radioed. "And we're in a bit of a hurry, so don't dawdle!"

"I will be there shortly, O'Neill," Bra'tac responded.

Debris raining down upon them, SG-1 ran as quickly as they could toward the ring platform. They had almost made it to the rings when a huge chunk of rock struck Teal'c in the head. He collapsed, and the others rushed to his side. Seeing that the Jaffa was unconscious, Jack was about to lift him up over his shoulders when Daniel stopped him. The archeologist picked Teal'c up like he weighed no more than a feather, then ran the rest of the way to the rings. Jack and Sam hurried after him. Seconds later, they were being ringed up to the Al'Kesh.

Daniel gently laid Teal'c down. After stripping off his own helmet, Jack carefully removed Teal'c's, staring in horror at what was revealed. A ghastly wound marred the Jaffa's head. Though Jack was not a doctor, it was obvious to him and everyone else that Teal'c had a severe compressed skull fracture.

"Oh, God," Sam whispered. "Sir, with that kind of head injury. . . ." Her voice halted as tears came to her eyes. There could be no doubt that Teal'c had suffered significant brain damage and was probably dying.

"It is a fatal wound," Bra'tac said, his voice rough with anguish at the knowledge that a man he looked upon as a son was going to die.

"Teal'c? Come on, buddy. You can't do this to us," Jack said in a tone also full of pain.

Someone touched Jack's arm. He turned and looked into Daniel's eyes. A gentle smile graced the archeologist's features. He then looked back down at Teal'c. He reached out his hand and placed it upon Teal'c's head, over the wound. His eyes closed, and his head dipped, his body growing still.

With a feeling of awe, the others watched as Teal'c's injury began to heal right before their eyes. Within seconds, it was gone. The Jaffa's eyes fluttered open.

Daniel swayed and would have fallen over if Jack did not grab hold of him.

"Whoa, Daniel. Stay with us," the colonel said.

Bra'tac helped Teal'c sit up.

"What has occurred?" the younger Jaffa asked, confused.

"You were hurt, Teal'c, a bad head injury," Sam explained, "and . . . and Daniel healed you. It was incredible."

"Daniel Jackson has gained the healing power of the Ancients?"

"Apparently so," Jack replied. "That sure didn't happen to _me_ when I went through this."

Teal'c met Daniel's eyes. "Yet again, I owe you my life."

Daniel did not reply, but something in his eyes made the Jaffa believe that the archeologist had heard and understood him.

"Set a course for Earth, Bra'tac," Jack said. "The Lost City is there."

"On Earth?" the Master Jaffa responded in surprise.

"Yep. Surprise, surprise."

As Bra'tac piloted the ship away from the planet and into hyperspace, Jack and Sam led Daniel to the sleeping quarters, Teal'c going with them. They sat the archeologist on one of the cots.

Teal'c studied Daniel's blank expression. "Daniel Jackson, can you hear us?" There was no response at all.

Jack cupped Daniel's face in his hand and turned the archeologist's head toward him. "Come on, Daniel. I know you're in there somewhere. We're on our way back to Earth, to the Lost City. We still need you."

When Jack's words failed to get any kind of response, he met Sam's eyes, which were dark with fear.

"We're losing him," she whispered.

Jack's head shook. "No. He's still fighting. We're going to make it, _he's_ going to make it."

They were all startled when Daniel abruptly got to his feet. The archeologist left the room and headed to the engine room, the others following him. He got the Naquadah generator and toolbox and took them to where the transporter rings were. He then began collecting others items from the things he had "packed" for the trip.

"Any idea what he's doing, Carter?" Jack asked.

"None, sir, but, whatever it is, I have a feeling we're going to need it."

--------------------------------------------------

Jack sat on the floor, watching Daniel work. The archeologist had been at it for over an hour. Sam still didn't know what he was doing and had gone to make some coffee.

Just then, Bra'tac came in. "Is Daniel Jackson creating a weapon for us to use against Anubis' fleet?"

"I have no idea. Carter can't figure it out yet either. He hasn't said a word or given us any clue."

The Jaffa's gaze remained on Daniel. "I will watch over him if you wish to refresh yourself, O'Neill."

Getting the feeling that Bra'tac wanted to be alone with Daniel, Jack got to his feet. "Okay. I could stand to stretch my legs for a bit. I'll be back later." He left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Bra'tac knelt beside Daniel, who continued to work as if unaware of his presence. "Daniel Jackson, I wish to thank you for saving the life of Teal'c. He is like a son to me, and a man can owe no greater debt than to the one who saves his son's life." He paused. "I also wish you to know that, if you do not survive this battle, your name will live in the minds and hearts of the Jaffa for all time. We will never forget how much we owe you." He placed his hand upon Daniel's shoulder.

Daniel lifted his gaze to Bra'tac. The Jaffa stared into a pair of fathomless eyes wise beyond the years of even the oldest Goa'uld, as if the knowledge and wisdom of the entire universe lay behind them. They left Bra'tac feeling awed and insignificant. Yet, within those eyes was also gentleness and understanding.

Daniel's hand came out and briefly touched Bra'tac's chest, over his heart. The Jaffa smiled softly and nodded.

The archeologist returned his attention to what he was doing. Getting to his feet, Bra'tac continued to watch him for several minutes, then left the room. Jack caught his gaze. The Jaffa nodded and headed for the cockpit.

"I'll watch Daniel, sir," Sam said. "I'm still hoping I can figure out what he's doing."

"Okay. Truth is, I was getting pretty tired sitting on the floor. My body can't take that kind of punishment like it used to. Let me know when you want me or Teal'c to spell you."

Sam finished her coffee and joined Daniel. Shutting the door, she studied him in silence for a while as she thought about all the things that had led up to this. A thought came into her mind and she suddenly decided that, as stupid and useless as it may be, there was something she had to do.

"Okay, Daniel, I know that this is probably the _worst_ possible timing in the _entire_ history of the universe and that you might not be hearing a single word I'm saying, but I just have to ask you this." Sam had begun to pace, not looking at Daniel. "I've tried, and tried, and tried so many times, so I'm just going to ask it." She stopped and turned around to face him, seeing that he was looking at her. "Will you go on a date with me?" After a moment, she let out a big breath. "There. I finally did it." She stared at Daniel, who was looking at her with a blank, "out to lunch" expression. "This isn't exactly the response I was hoping for."

Just then, Sam noticed how pale and drawn Daniel appeared, like someone who was very ill. He hadn't put his glasses back on after the return from Taonas, and she could clearly see the deep shadows under his eyes. He looked as if he should be in bed, not trying to save the galaxy from an evil, powerful villain.

Even as that thought occurred to her, Daniel abruptly swayed, his eyes shutting. The major was immediately at his side, holding onto him.

"Daniel?" There was a small note of panic in Sam's voice.

After a few seconds, the archeologist appeared to gather more strength. Or perhaps it was that he tapped even deeper into his seemingly bottomless well of willpower. He straightened, his eyes clearing, and he returned to work.

Sam's gaze did not leave Daniel's face, a terrible fear deep inside her that, no matter how great his strength or willpower was, it was only a matter of time before this thing got the better of him. The only thing that could save him was if Thor finally answered their call for help.

"Daniel, I. . . ." Sam took a deep breath. "There's so much I want to tell you. I should have said it before. I should have listened to Janet. And, now. . . ." She rested her hand on his hair. "Can you understand me at all, Daniel? Can you even hear me?" The archeologist continued to work, seemingly oblivious to her presence. Sam's eyes filled with tears. "God, I can't tell you like this. I just can't, not when you don't even know I'm here." Her voice broke.

She got to her feet and moved away a few paces, wiping the tears from her eyes. She turned around and looked down at him. She was about to say something, but the words died on her tongue. She frowned, staring at what Daniel was doing. She rushed up to him and sat back down.

"You're modifying the matter stream transmitter on the rings, aren't you. Okay, so why are you doing that?" She grabbed a piece of equipment and ran some scans of what he was doing. She found that he'd not only increased the strength of the transmitter substantially, he'd also altered them in ways that had her mouth dropping open, realization finally hitting her. "We're going to use it to bore a hole through the ice, aren't we. Okay! Now that I know what you're doing, I can help."

Sam got busy aiding Daniel, though it was odd working with someone who seemed to be only vaguely aware that she was helping. Her mind now on the task at hand, she pushed back the thought that, even if they succeeded in beating Anubis, Daniel might not live to celebrate the victory.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Above the surface of Earth, three Goa'uld ships came to a stop. They immediately became visible to a U.S. space-based radar station. The moment the technicians became aware of the presence of the ships, they passed on the message, which was finally received by General John P. Jumper, the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff. He and the National Security Advisor immediately went to the president, who was with Vice President Kinsey and General Maynard in the Oval Office.

"Mister President, a short time ago our space-based radar detected three Goa'uld vessels emerging from hyperspace," General Jumper announced.

"Just three?" Kinsey asked. "That's hardly the full force of Anubis' fleet."

Maynard spoke up. "I'd guess that this is an advance attack force. They're here to test our defenses, see if SG-1 was successful in getting Ancient defense technology."

"Which they weren't."

"No, not yet, but Anubis doesn't know that."

"And he's most likely holding back his main invasion fleet till he finds out what we've got," Hayes guessed.

"Sir, Prometheus and our fleet of 302's can give them a run for their money," General Jumper said.

"Let's do it," Kinsey said firmly.

Maynard shook his head. He turned to Hayes. "I agree with your assessment, Mister President. Anubis is attempting to goad us into action, which will show him the strength of our forces. If we launched Prometheus now, it would reveal that we lack the advanced weaponry he is worried about."

Kinsey was all ready to say that they needed to throw the full might of their power at Anubis now and show him that the United States of America was not to be messed with, but, at the last second, he changed his mind and stayed silent.

"Remain at DEFCON 3 for the time being," Hayes said, "but contact the governments of Russia, Great Britain, France, China and Canada, and let them know what we think we're in for. In the meantime, I'd better prepare a hell of a speech."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel and Sam had been working together for over an hour when Jack came in to check on them.

"Sir, I figured out what Daniel is doing," Sam told him. "He's modifying the matter stream transmitter on the rings so that we can use them to bore a hole through the ice."

"Cool. I hope it's going to be ready soon, because we'll be reaching Earth in less than an hour."

"You need to contact the SGC, Colonel, tell them what's going on."

"Right."

Jack hurried to the cockpit. "Teal'c, open up a channel to the SGC." The Jaffa immediately complied.

"Stargate Command, this is Colonel O'Neill. Can you read me?" Nothing but silence answered. "Stargate Command, come in please." Jack tried for another half a minute to contact the SGC. When all his hails failed to receive a reply, he shouted over his shoulder. "Carter! We've got a problem here!"

Sam came trotting out. "What's wrong, sir?"

"We can't get hold of the SGC."

"The sensors have detected Goa'uld ships in orbit around Earth," Bra'tac said. "Perhaps the attack has already begun, and Stargate Command has been destroyed."

"Ah! Don't say that!" Jack exclaimed.

Sam quickly checked the communications equipment. She suddenly started cursing up a blue streak, making both Jack's and Teal'c's eyebrows rise dramatically.

"Sir, the next time we go to Area 51, remind _me_ to kill someone," the major growled.

"What now?!"

"The Al'Kesh is equipped with an Asgard communications system, and it was one of the systems that the scientists were studying. Well, in the big rush, someone must have screwed up. We're not transmitting. Damn! I should have checked this before!"

"Carter, this is not your fault, and I will be _more_ than happy to let you commit homicide the next time we go to Area 51."

"Then we are unable to contact the SGC?" Teal'c asked.

"Not at the moment," Sam answered. "I'll get to work on it right away."

Sam frantically got busy trying to fix the problem. The thought that Anubis had arrived at Earth and might already be wiping out the population plaguing her mind. This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't!

They were only a few minutes away from Earth when Sam got the communications system fixed. Jack immediately tried to contact the SGC.

"Colonel O'Neill! This is Stargate Command. We read you, sir!" came the almost immediate reply.

"Get General Hammond."

"He's already on his way, sir."

Only a few seconds later, the general's voice came over the speaker. "Colonel, it's good to hear your voice."

"Yes, sir. I don't have time to explain, but the Lost City is on Earth, in Antarctica, probably right around where the second Stargate was found. We'll be arriving in just a few minutes, and we're going to need backup, sir."

"Consider it done, Jack. Stargate Command out."

Sam turned to Jack. "Sir, as soon as we come out of hyperspace, Anubis is going to detect us. We can't cloak the ship until after we enter normal space."

"The moment we emerge from hyperspace, we will activate the cloak," Bra'tac told them. "The ship will be visible for a mere instant."

"Let's hope that Anubis and his cronies aren't paying really close attention," Jack said.

--------------------------------------------------

Her'ak, Anubis' First Prime, entered the room where his god stood looking out a window.

"My lord, the advance attack reports that they have received no challenge."

Anubis turned to face him. "Order them to begin the attack. If the Tau'ri have weapons of the Ancients, we shall see."

Her'ak bowed and left with a feeling of satisfaction. Soon, the Tau'ri of Earth would be no more.

--------------------------------------------------

"Mister President, even though we have yet to see the bulk of Anubis' fleet, I agree that it is out there, waiting to see what we'll do," Hammond said to Hayes over the speakerphone. "Prometheus and the 302's can't possibly win against an entire Goa'uld fleet, but if it is sent to protect SG-1, it could give them enough time to complete their mission."

"Mister President, that is downright insane!" Kinsey exclaimed. "We need to attack Anubis now, hit him with everything we've got before he starts targeting our cities. This Lost City story is a crock of bull. SG-1 is just--"

"Bob, shut the hell up!" Hayes yelled. Everyone in the room, as well as Hammond in his office, fell into a stunned silence.

"Excuse me?" Kinsey sputtered.

"You heard me. I've had enough of your crap about SG-1." The president turned back to the speakerphone. "Tell Prometheus to launch, George, with orders to protect SG-1 at all costs."

"Yes, sir!" Hammond said, hanging up.

Still angry at being humiliated like that, Kinsey nevertheless decided to play it cool. "Mister President, I believe it would be wise for us to get to the Alpha Site now, even if it does turn out that those three ships are all that Anubis sent. You can keep in contact through the Stargate, and--"

Hayes shook his head. "It's too late for that, Bob. This battle is going to take place, and we're going to be right here for it. All of our lives are depending on SG-1 now."

The fear of dying swept through Kinsey. "But, Mister President! There's no reason for us to--"

Hayes interrupted him again. "Face it, Bob. As much as you hate SG-1, you'd better pray that they don't live _down_ to your expectations, because your ass is on the line just like the rest of ours."

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Her'ak stood at the console. Behind him, Anubis sat in his throne.

"My lord, the advance attack ships have found a large force of what appears to be aquatic war vessels on one of the planet's oceans. They wish to know if it is a suitable target."

"Yes, that will do. Tell them to destroy it."

"Yes, my. . . . My lord! Sensors detected an Al'Kesh exiting hyperspace. The ship cloaked immediately upon exiting."

Anubis rose from his throne. "Find the ship's energy signature. Tell the advance force to suspend the attack on the planet. That ship must be found."

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The Al'Kesh carrying SG-1 and Bra'tac swooped down toward Earth. Its occupants had no idea if they had been detected coming out of hyperspace. If they were, it would only be a matter of time before Anubis found them and sent his forces after them.

"Head toward the coordinates where the Stargate was found," Jack ordered Teal'c.

Just then, Daniel came into the cockpit. He stepped up to the pilot's seat and touched Teal'c's shoulder. The Jaffa looked at him, then stood to allow Daniel to take the seat. The archeologist piloted the ship over the mountains and across a snowfield. He brought it to a stop a few hundred feet above the ice and snow. An intense beam of blue-white light descended from its belly and bit into the snow and ice beneath it, quickly melting through.

They'd been in that position for only a minute or so when Bra'tac announced, "Al'Kesh and gliders approach. We have been discovered."

"Crap!" Jack cursed. "Prometheus will never reach us before they do. We're going to have to take evasive action, try to stay in one piece until our forces get here." He looked down at Daniel. "Daniel, you'd better let Teal'c take the controls."

The archeologist made no move to leave the seat. Jack wasn't even sure Daniel had heard him.

"The ships still approach," Bra'tac announced. "They will be in firing range in thirty seconds."

"Daniel, you need to--"

Before Jack could finish his sentence, Daniel suddenly shut off the beam, turned the ship, and took off, heading straight for a range of mountains in the distance. Their altitude remained low, way too low to make it over the mountains that they were fast approaching.

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Sam asked.

Not answering, Daniel stayed on course. Moments before it seemed certain that the archeologist was going to kill them all, he altered course slightly to the right.

"Whoa!" Jack yelled as they shot between two peaks and into a labyrinth of mountains. Seconds later, the first wave of enemy ships arrived. Destructive bolts of energy streaked past them, impacting upon rocks and snow. With half a dozen death gliders on his tale, Daniel wove between the massive peaks surrounding them, skimming past some so closely that the wake from their passing blasted snow off the mountains. He never wavered, never hesitated, as if he intimately knew every inch of the terrain. Jack realized that, somehow, Daniel was using his paranormal abilities to map out the terrain in advance, seeing every crevasse, every dip and peak before they got there. And it was working.

"The bulk of Anubis' forces cannot follow us here!" Bra'tac shouted. "They would surely impact upon the mountains or each other."

Even as he spoke, Daniel suddenly aimed the ship straight at a mountainside. At the last possible second, he veered to the left and squeezed between two cliffs. Two of the gliders chasing them failed to make the maneuver and crashed into the mountain, exploding on impact.

"Yes!" Jack cried. "Way to go, Daniel!"

The chase continued, enemy gliders and Al'Kesh attempting to follow and shoot them down. The fact that they were cloaked meant that the enemy had to rely solely on sensors to detect them, which was an added advantage. But, even with the cloak and Daniel's amazing piloting skills, there were so many attacking ships that his companions knew it was only a matter of time before they were hit.

And then something else happened to change the odds even more. Half a dozen gliders converged on them from different directions. It was a trap that they couldn't possibly escape from . . . and yet they did. Even as the gliders swooped and fired at them, Daniel was already taking evasive action, somehow dodging gliders and weapons fire before they were there.

"He knows what they do before they do it!" Teal'c cried.

Struck dumb with amazement, the others knew that Teal'c was right. Just as he had when he fought Har'tec, Daniel was predicting the moves of his enemy before they were made.

"Holy Hannah!" Sam said, her face alight with wonder.

A moment later, they ran out of luck. A stray shot from an Al'Kesh struck them. The ship jolted violently, sparks flying through the air.

"The cloaking device has been damaged," Bra'tac said. "It is failing."

At that moment, Daniel made a maneuver that, if it hadn't been for the inertial dampeners, would have smeared them all over the front window. As it was, Jack felt his stomach do a loop-de-loop. The archeologist had abruptly decelerated, then dived straight down into a wide cleft between mountains. The ships following them had no hope of duplicating the unexpected maneuver and shot past, some smashing into mountains as they tried to change course to stay on their target's tail.

Inside the cleft, Daniel made a complete one hundred eighty degree turn and headed back the way they came, shooting up out of the cleft like a rocket. He barely managed to avoid several more ships that had been taken by surprise, shooting down two of them before streaking past. The sudden change in directions had all the enemy ships scrambling to turn around.

Dozens of enemy ships still after them, Daniel took the Al'Kesh out of the mountains.

"O'Neill, there are more ships approaching from the distance," Bra'tac announced.

"Oh, shit! We're about to get our ass--"

"They are not Goa'uld."

Jack, Sam and Teal'c all looked out the side window to see the Prometheus and dozens of F-302's.

"Yes! The cavalry is here!" Jack shouted.

Onboard the Prometheus, Colonel Pendergast stared at the force of Goa'uld ships ahead of them. A large group of gliders and Al'Kesh were speeding above a snowfield. Strangely, the Al'Kesh in the lead was occasionally winking out of sight. Realizing what that meant, he broadcast over the communications channel, "The Al'Kesh in the lead is SG-1. Do _not_ fire upon it. That ship is to be protected at all costs!"

Moments later, the battle began, Earth's forces fighting fiercely against the enemies seeking to destroy their world. The air was suddenly alive with weapons fire and exploding ships. Amidst it all, a single Al'Kesh had come to a complete stop over a circular hole in the ice. Once again, the bright beam of light descended from the underside of the ship to resume digging.

Daniel got up and left the cockpit. Bra'tac moved into the vacated seat as Teal'c stepped up to the tactical station. Sam followed Daniel.

At that moment, the huge bulk of Prometheus came down to hover over them like a mother bird protecting her chick.

"SG-1, this is Colonel Pendergast, do you read?"

"Yes, we sure do," Jack answered. "It's good to see you, Lionel. You got here just in the nick of time."

As the battle continued to wage above them, SG-1 sat and waited for the modified matter stream to cut through the mile of ice, only the mighty ship hovering above them preventing them from being destroyed.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called out. "An Al'Kesh is bearing down upon us!"

Jack looked out the window to see a ship coming right at them. Seconds before it would have opened fire, a damaged F-302, smoke billowing from one of its engines, took it out.

"Whoa. That was close," Jack muttered, saying a silent thank you to that courageous pilot and hoping that he got to safety.

"Colonel! Teal'c! We've got to go!" Sam called out. Jack and Teal'c joined her and Daniel at the ring platform. The archeologist was moving the remains of his modifications away from the transport rings. He and Sam were already dressed in their vests and jackets. Jack and Teal'c quickly put theirs on.

"Daniel, how are we gonna get down there?" Jack asked.

Teal'c scanned the floor. "The rings."

Sam nodded in agreement. "The Ancients built both the Stargate and the rings, so it would make sense that there would be a ring platform down there somewhere, just like there was on Taonas. The transmission beam just couldn't penetrate a mile of ice."

Jack, Sam and Teal'c armed themselves as Daniel finished clearing everything away from the rings. They all stepped into the center of the platform.

"Ready, Bra'tac!" Jack called.

"Good luck!" they heard the man call back.

An instant later, the rings leapt up around them, and they were beamed down. They found themselves in a small chamber. There was an opening off to one side, which Daniel went through, the others following. The chamber they entered looked somewhat like the one on Praclarush Taonas.

"This looks vaguely familiar," Sam said.

Daniel moved to an object standing against one wall. It contained a large niche, as if something was supposed to be placed inside. He laid a hand upon it.

"Dormata," he murmured.

"Anyone know what that means?" Jack asked.

"No, s--"

Sam's voice was cut off by a high-pitched noise. They stepped to the right and saw Anubis standing a few feet away. Jack and Sam instantly raised their P-90's and pointed them at the figure.

"You are too late. The power of the Ancients is mine," the Goa'uld announced.

Daniel stared at Anubis for a moment, then walked forward, going right through him. The archeologist kept on walking, not looking back.

"Fools!" shouted the cloaked figure. It then disappeared.

"It's a hologram," Sam said.

Daniel stepped onto the dais holding a chair exactly like the one on Taonas. He knelt and held his hand over a section of the floor. A device similar to the one they'd taken from the other place rose out of the dais, except that this one appeared to be dead, without power. Daniel removed it. Sam took the module they'd gotten at Taonas out of the bag she carried on her hip and gave it to him.

At that moment, SG-1 heard the rings activate. Jack, Sam and Teal'c all took cover. Two supersoldiers appeared. The three members of SG-1 immediately opened fire on them. They succeeded in taking one of the drones down.

Seemingly oblivious to the action, Daniel inserted the new power module into the hole. The dais lit up. With Sam, Jack and Teal'c trying to hold off the drone as best as they could, the archeologist went to the chair. As two more drones ringed down and started shooting, he sat down. Using the control pad, he made the chair recline and swivel around to face away from the action.

Jack called over his shoulder, "Daniel, whatever it is you're gonna do, you'd better hurry up and do it!"

At that moment, a brilliant light bathed Daniel in its radiance. His eyes slid shut. A low rumbling echoed through the chamber as a part of the floor between SG-1 and the remaining drone crumbled away, a golden light shining up from the newly formed hole. In the next second, a stream of brightly glowing objects poured upward from the hole. Some of the objects attacked the supersoldier, enveloping it. Seconds later, it vanished.

The weapons of the Ancients shot up through the shaft created by the matter stream and out into the open air. Every Goa'uld vessel they encountered was instantly destroyed. Up they rose, a golden column of destruction aiming straight toward the Goa'uld fleet in orbit around Earth.

Prometheus, its shields down and weapons expended, was on a collision course with Anubis' mothership, its crew determined to take out the ship no matter what. The glowing stream came upon the Earth ship and diverted around it harmlessly, writhing arms splitting off from the main flow like the tentacles of an octopus. They attacked the Goa'uld ships ruthlessly, slicing through shields and bulkheads as if through tissue paper.

Onboard the Prometheus, Major Gant cried, "Weapons fire coming from the surface, sir!"

"Break off the attack," Colonel Pendergast responded. "Get us clear of that ship."

Prometheus changed course and flew under the mothership, which was being decimated by the alien weapon.

On Anubis' ship, Her'ak called out, "Our shields are of no use!"

Anubis watched helplessly as his fleet was wiped out. He raised a hand protectively as several of the Ancients' weapons headed straight toward the window.

"Noooo!" he roared.

Seconds later, in a cataclysmic explosion, Anubis' mighty ship ripped apart.

Down on Earth, the president in the oval office and everyone in the control room at the SGC listened to the report from an excited witness.

"Thousands of bright yellow . . . I don't know. . . . They're coming from the surface. I don't know what they are. They're cutting the enemy fleet to shreds. My God, it's beautiful!"

"Sir, what is it?" a technician asked Hammond.

A smile of satisfaction and pride beamed across the general's face. "That is SG-1. By God, they did it!"

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Not knowing exactly what was happening in the skies above them, but having gotten a brief report from Bra'tac that the weapons Daniel unleashed were destroying the Goa'uld ships, SG-1 waited in the chamber, still alert for any threat. Just then, the bright light around the chair went out. Jack, Sam and Teal'c turned to it and saw that Daniel appeared to be unconscious.

"Daniel!" Sam hurried forward, followed by Jack and Teal'c. Frantically, she checked his pulse.

"His pulse is erratic," she said over her shoulder to the others. She then turned back to Daniel. "Don't you dare leave us now, Daniel. We won. You did it. We're safe."

The archeologist's eyelids fluttered open. His eyes met Sam's, cutting right into her soul. He whispered something that she could not hear.

"Daniel?" Sam said in a scared voice.

Finding the strength from somewhere, Daniel struggled upwards. Jack and Teal'c hurried forward and helped him out of the chair. They'd just gotten him off the dais when he went limp in their grasp. They lowered him to the floor. Sam rushed to his side, Teal'c moving out of the way for her. She pulled Daniel up into her arms, looking into eyes that were now glazed and distant.

"No, Daniel. Don't do this," Sam begged, starting to cry. "Please."

"Sam," Daniel said in a breathy whisper. He uttered words in Ancient that she could barely hear.

"Daniel, what are you saying? What can we do?" she asked in desperation.

But Daniel did not answer. As Sam watched helplessly, his eyes slid shut. A soft sigh slipped from his lips, and then he was still, his body going limp with cruel and terrible finality.

"No," Sam whispered brokenly. "No."

_'Oh God, no,'_ Jack's mind cried in silent denial as his questing fingers searched for a pulse and found none.

A horrible, heartrending cry rose out of Sam. Deep, wracking sobs shuddered through her as she gathered Daniel to her chest. Beside her, Jack sunk to the floor as anguish overwhelmed him, making him feel cold, empty and broken inside.

Tears welled up into Teal'c's eyes as he looked down upon the body of a man who had become one of the best friends he'd ever had, a man who had yet again given his life to save them all. But, unlike before, no alien entity came to take him away, no bright light heralded the transformation of his body into another form of life. Daniel Jackson was truly dead this time, and nothing was going to bring him back.

A black, fathomless abyss of anguish and despair rose up to swallow Sam whole as she cradled the body of the man she loved more than anything in the universe. She pressed her tear-streaked face against his, rocking back and forth like a stricken child.

"I love you. I love you," she whispered over and over again in a shattered voice.

The words created an unreasoning anger within Jack. Why now? Why when it was too late for Daniel did Sam finally say that she loved him? Why couldn't she have loved him when he revealed his feelings for her? At least then, Daniel would have had a few precious months of happiness before. . . .

Jack lurched to his feet with a choked little gasp and strode away, the pain eating him alive. Oh, God, this can't be happening. Daniel can't be dead. They were all supposed to be celebrating the defeat of Anubis and the salvation of Earth. Thor was supposed to have come to the rescue at the last minute, like he did so many times in the past, and fix everything. But, this time, there was no last minute rescue, no happy ending. Earth had been saved, but at the cost of the finest man and best friend Jack had ever known.

Bra'tac's voice came over the radios. "O'Neill, Anubis' forces have been defeated!"

Jack closed his eyes. He reached for his radio. "We know, Bra'tac. We know. Daniel--" His voice broke off. He took a deep breath. He just couldn't tell the Master Jaffa over the radio. "Come pick us up."

Jack turned around and walked back to the others. "Teal'c, we need to . . ." His voice wavered and cracked, "we need to take him home."

The Jaffa nodded. He knelt across from Sam. "Major Carter, it is time to take Daniel Jackson home."

Sam's head shook. "No," she whispered, clutching Daniel even tighter.

"Samantha," Teal'c said gently. "He is gone."

Sam gazed down at Daniel's face. "No, he can't be gone. He _can't_ be. I _love_ him."

Teal'c's voice trembled. "I know."

With utmost gentleness, Teal'c took Daniel out of Sam's grasp. Gathering the still, limp body into his arms, he stood and walked toward the ring platform. Jack went up to Sam and helped her off the floor. She clutched at him as they joined the Jaffa.

"Ring us up, Bra'tac," Jack said into his radio.

A moment later, they were on the Al'Kesh. The Master Jaffa's grin instantly vanished upon seeing Daniel and the anguish on everyone's faces. He knew without asking that the archeologist was dead.

Teal'c carried Daniel's body into the bedchamber that had once belonged to Osiris. He laid the archeologist down on the bed and turned away.

As the three men left the room, Sam curled up on the bed beside Daniel and laid her head on the chest that would never again rise with the breath of life. Alone in the room with the man she loved more than her own life, Sam felt her heart shatter into dust, with no hope of repair.

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General Hammond was just about to make a base-wide announcement that the Goa'uld fleet had been destroyed when Jack O'Neill's voice came over the speakers.

"Colonel O'Neill! Congratulations!" Hammond exclaimed. "You and the rest of SG-1 have once again saved the planet. How is Doctor Jackson doing?"

There was a long silence. "Daniel . . . Daniel's dead, sir."

The control room went utterly still, gasps arising from several people.

"He did it, General," Jack continued, his voice heavy with sorrow. "He saved us all. The weapon, getting us back in time, everything. It was all him. He sacrificed himself for us."

In the control room, more than one person had begun to cry. General Hammond's eyes stung with tears that he could not allow to fall.

In a voice full of terrible sadness, he said, "Bring him home, Jack."

"Yes, sir."

General Hammond closed his eyes for a long moment, taking a deep breath. Shoving his sorrow deep inside for the moment, he told a technician to turn on the base P.A. system.

"I have an announcement to make, everyone. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Doctor Jackson and the rest of SG-1, the forces of Anubis have been destroyed."

Throughout the base, a cheer arose at the fantastic news. Everyone quieted as Hammond continued speaking.

"I am afraid, though, that I have some sad news. Doctor Jackson is dead. It was through his actions that Earth was saved. He gave his life for all of us, and every man, woman and child on this planet owes him a debt that we will never be able to repay."

In her office, Janet sunk slowly into her chair, tears pouring down her cheeks. With a little sob, she lowered her face into her hands and cried for her lost, dearly loved friend.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

A cloak of silence descended upon the corridors of the SGC as a gurney was wheeled by with a sheet-covered body upon it. On either side of the gurney, like an honor guard for a fallen hero, walked Bra'tac and the surviving members of SG-1. The looks on their faces reflected the grief they were feeling, even on the two Jaffa.

The group descended to Level 21, but it did not go to the infirmary. Instead, it went to a cold and sterile room where, years ago, Sha're's body was brought to await the journey home for her final rest. Now, it would contain the body of her husband until he, too, was laid to rest.

For the longest time after the corpsman that pushed the gurney had left, SG-1 stood unmoving in their positions around Daniel's body. Bra'tac, too, had left, knowing that Jack, Sam and Teal'c needed this final time alone with their friend.

More than once, Jack's hand had reached for the sheet that covered Daniel's head, but, each time, it fell back to his side. He just couldn't bear to yet again see his best friend's pale and lifeless face. He looked at Sam. The major's eyes were fixed upon Daniel, eyes that had gone dark with a terrible, soul-deep look of anguish and despair. Jack feared that this would be the one thing that would break her, that nothing would ever put her fully back together.

As for Teal'c, Jack could remember only two other times that he'd seen as much grief on the Jaffa's face: when they had come upon the wreckage of Teal'c's home on Chulak, the Jaffa believing that his wife and son had perished, and when Shan'auc, the Jaffa priestess that Teal'c had loved, died.

At last, Jack knew that it was time to leave. He gently wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders and led her outside as Teal'c followed.

"Sam, do you want some . . . some company?" Jack asked.

"No," she whispered. "I need to be alone."

Jack didn't say anything more. He, too, desperately needed to be alone, for the emotions were building inside him, and he couldn't let anyone witness it when they finally exploded.

The three remaining members of SG-1 went their separate ways. Teal'c retired to his quarters. One by one, he lit the candles that he used for Kel'no'reem, then sat upon the floor. But the Jaffa did not attempt Kel'no'reem, for he knew that he would fail. Instead, he closed his eyes and remembered. He remembered the first time Daniel Jackson spoke to him. In the huge chamber containing all the humans who had been gathered as possible hosts, the archeologist had approached him without fear and showed him the symbol for Earth. He remembered the moment when Daniel looked upon him with eyes full of a willingness to forgive the crime he had committed against the archeologist's family. He recalled the day that Daniel stood before the people who were putting Teal'c on trial for his life, the impassioned plea the linguist had given to all assembled, asking that they spare the Jaffa. Into Teal'c's mind came the memory of the joy he'd felt upon seeing Daniel alive and well after SG-1 destroyed the ships Apophis had sent to attack Earth.

Moments of happiness and sorrow, pain and pleasure passed through Teal'c's mind, six years shared with a man of unswerving courage and unfailing compassion and one year spent missing his presence. Daniel Jackson had been like no other man that Teal'c had ever met, and he knew that there would forever be a place in his heart that would remain empty without him.

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Jack closed the door of his office and locked it. He looked up at the security camera in the corner. Grabbing a chair, he climbed up onto it and covered the lens with a handkerchief. He wanted no prying eyes upon him. Jack then sank into the chair behind his desk. The minutes ticked by as he stared with unseeing eyes at a spot on the wall across the room. He felt so empty, shattered, like a broken bottle drained of its contents.

Jack pulled an object out of his pocket. It was Daniel's glasses. He gently touched them with his fingertips, thinking how horribly wrong it was that his friend would never again wear them.

It was then that something snapped inside Jack. Rage erupted within him with violent force. With a sweep of his arm, half the things on his desk went flying. He flung himself out of his chair and strode over to the next thing he laid eyes upon. The books on the shelf joined the mess on the floor. Jack smashed a fist against the wall, venting his rage upon its unfeeling surface.

As quickly as the rage came, it ended. Overwhelmed with grief, Jack rested his forehead against the wall, clenched fists on either side of his face.

"Damn you, Daniel," he whispered raggedly. "Damn you. You not supposed to be dead. You're supposed to come back. You _always_ come back."

Jack sank to the floor, his sobs finally breaking free. Wrapping his arms around himself, Colonel Jack O'Neill cried for the loss of the best friend he could ever hope to have.

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In Daniel's office, Sam lay curled into a tight ball on the cot. The tears kept coming and coming. She felt like her soul was dying, destroyed by a pain that was consuming her from the inside out. Never in her life had she hurt this much. How could she survive this? How could she go on from day to day, knowing that she would never again see Daniel's face, or gaze into his beautiful eyes, or see that wonderful smile that always lightened her spirit or made her heart flutter. Never again would she share a meal or a cup of coffee with the best friend she'd ever had, a friend she had come love more than any other. He was gone, gone forever. This time, there was no hope that, someday, he'd come back, no hope at all.

With a brutal sense of fatalism, Sam realized that, once again, her black widow's curse had taken away a man she cared about deeply. But, this time, the theft was unbearable. Sam also knew that this time would be the last, for never again would she give her heart to any man. When they buried Daniel, her heart would be buried with him.

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It had been almost four hours since Daniel's body was brought home, and, in all that time, Janet had been unable to set foot in the room where he lay. She knew that a time would come when she could not put it off any longer, but just the thought of seeing Daniel's lifeless body was almost too much to bear. A part of Janet berated her for this weakness. She was a doctor, after all, a woman who dealt with death on a regular basis. But death was so much more brutal and hard to face when it happened to someone you loved.

More than once, Janet had watched Daniel die. Most of those "deaths" were only momentary, brief minutes when his heart had been silent and she had fought to bring it back to life. Once, it had been more than that, a true death that had turned out not to be death at all because of an event that Janet still believed was a miracle. Seeing Daniel ascend had been one of the most beautiful things she'd ever witnessed, even though it also tore her apart.

But death had finally taken Daniel and was not giving him back. No medical actions could restore him, no ancient entity was going to guide him to another plane of existence. Daniel really was gone this time, and Janet had to learn to accept it.

Finally, the doctor stood. She left her office and passed through the infirmary. Some of the nurses were crying openly, others on the verge of tears. Daniel had been a favorite of the nursing staff, alternately bringing out the mothering instinct in them and lighting the flame of their feminine desires.

The thought of feminine desires made Janet think about Sam again. She was terribly worried about how her friend was doing. Sam had loved Daniel so much. How deeply was his death going to scar her? Would she ever be able to fully recover?

Janet had decided to give Sam some time alone, guessing that's what she'd want. But the doctor knew that, soon, Sam would need someone to hold onto, someone to keep her from getting lost in the crushing grief.

As Janet continued the journey to the morgue, she thought about the task that would soon have to be undertaken. Just the thought of it made her ill, but she knew that an autopsy would have to be done. She also knew, however, that she would not be the one to do it. It would just about destroy her to violate Daniel's body like that.

Janet paused outside the morgue for a long moment, her feet not wanting to carry her forward. Drawing in a deep breath, she took the final step and opened the door. She froze again upon seeing the sheet-draped body lying upon the gurney.

Forcing herself to move forward, Janet came to a halt at the gurney. She stared down at the sheet covering Daniel for a very long time, trying to find the courage to pull it back. At last, her hand rose and lifted it aside. A little gasp caught in her throat as Daniel's chalk-white face was revealed. Janet pressed her hand to her mouth, holding back a sob. But she could not stop the tears that began streaming down her face.

"Oh, Daniel," she whispered.

With a shuddery sigh, Janet touched her friend's cheek, feeling the warm skin, the scratchy texture of unshaven whiskers as she remembered all the times she'd touched his face when he was sick or injured in her infirmary.

Janet's eyes closed tightly. God, this was even harder than she'd thought it would be. She needed to get out of here, to. . . .

Warm?

Janet's eyes snapped open, and she stared down at Daniel. She touched his face again and found that his skin was, indeed, warm, equally as warm as that of a live, healthy body.

_'Okay, Janet, calm down. So his skin is warm. That doesn't mean anything. Though a body usually starts to cool one to two hours after death, it can sometimes take three, and there have been some studies that claim it can take up to five.' _

Despite that thought, Janet's heart rate refused to slow down, and there was this tight, quivery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She decided to check something else and found that rigor mortis had not begun to set in.

_'No rigor mortis even though it's been over four hours, most of that time spent at room temperature.'_ Janet mentally shook her head. _'But you know that this doesn't really mean anything either. There could be all kinds of explanations for it.'_ The doctor gazed at Daniel's face. _'He's dead, Janet,'_ she told herself. _'The corpsman confirmed it. No pulse, no respiration. Stop torturing yourself by building up ridiculous, false hopes.' _

Despite the self-chastisement, Janet's hand reached into her pocket and pulled out the penlight that was universally hated by all her patients. She stared at it for a few seconds before leaning forward and lifting one of Daniel's eyelids. The doctor shone the light directly into the vacantly staring eye. Shocked, she watched as, very slowly, the pupil contracted.

"Oh my God!" Janet cried. The penlight clattered to the floor as the doctor's hand dove for Daniel's neck. She placed her fingers over the carotid artery. It was still, unmoving. But Janet did not give up. She kept her fingers there, eyes closed in concentration, silently counting off the seconds. Nearly thirty seconds had passed when she felt a faint flutter beneath her fingertips. She remained in that position, continuing to count. Thirty-five seconds later, she felt it again.

Janet's gaze flew to Daniel's face for a long, stunned moment, then she was dashing to the phone. "I need a medical team in the morgue! Stat!" she yelled in the receiver. Hanging it up, she ran back to Daniel's side. "My God, Daniel, you've done it again! I can't believe it!"

The medical team came hurrying in a few moments later, looking around for their patient, but the room was empty except for Janet and the body of Doctor Jackson. The physician pointed at Daniel.

"We have to get him to the infirmary! He's alive!"

The others looked at the archeologist, who still appeared to be very dead.

"What are you waiting for, dammit?" Janet snapped. "Come on!"

The doctor grabbed the end of the gurney and started pushing it toward the door. Finally snapping out of their daze, the team leapt forward, two of them grabbing either side of the gurney. They rushed it down the hall, nearly bowling over a couple of hapless airmen.

Once they got to the infirmary, Janet began snapping out orders. Daniel was hooked up to a life signs monitor. When a flat line began tracing over the screen, all those gathered around looked at each other, then at their C.M.O., who had apparently lost her mind.

"Wait for it," she said, paying no attention to the looks.

Out of respect for the doctor, they kept watching the screen--and were all shocked when a single blip showed on it about fifteen seconds later. Mouths dropping open, they kept watching and saw another blip a bit over half a minute later. Beyond all hope or reason, Daniel Jackson was alive.

"I want his respiration and blood pressure taken," Janet ordered. "I also want a complete blood work-up. And we need an EEG over here. I have to call the general and SG-1!"

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Jack had been sitting slumped in his chair for about an hour now. The only reason why he'd left the floor was that parts of him had gone numb. He felt drained of all energy and had no will to move from the chair.

A persistent ringing worked its way into Jack's consciousness. Realizing that it was the phone, he chose to ignore it, having no desire to speak to anyone. When the phone just kept right on ringing, Jack finally answered it, figuring that it might be the general.

"O'Neill," he said.

"Sir! It's Doctor Fraiser! You have to come to the infirmary right away. It's unbelievable! I can't--"

Jack interrupted the doctor's excited babble. "Doc, what are you babbling about?"

"Daniel, sir! He's alive!"

Anything else Janet might have said would have been spoken to empty air, for Jack was no longer there. He'd dropped the phone and streaked out of his office. Bypassing the elevator, the colonel went to the stairs, taking the steps two and three at a time. He skidded into the infirmary and came to a screeching halt. Not seeing Janet or Daniel, he made a beeline for the ICU. And there he saw it. In the corner, surrounded by a hive of nurses who were buzzing around him like bees, was Daniel. Jack slowly approached the group, afraid that he was dreaming it all. Just then, Janet appeared.

"Colonel! It's incredible. I couldn't believe it when I realized what was happening."

"What _is_ happening?" Jack asked.

"Come here."

Janet led Jack to Daniel's bed. The colonel's gaze fixed upon his friend's face. Pale and unmoving, he still looked dead to Jack's eyes.

"Watch the monitor," Janet told him.

Jack dragged his eyes away from Daniel and looked at the monitor. It was not the first time that he'd seen a flat line in place of Daniel's heartbeat, but he had hoped he would never see it again. Even as he had that thought, though, there was a disturbance in the line, a single beat.

"What the. . . ." Jack kept watching, wondering if he'd imagined it. Way too many seconds later he saw it again. Stunned, Jack returned his gaze to Daniel.

"His heart is beating roughly two times per minute," Janet explained. "His respiration is almost negligible, but it is there. But what's most important of all is that." She pointed at another monitor.

Jack looked at the wavy line. "What is it?"

"It's his EEG, sir, his brainwave pattern. It is extremely slow, way down into the lowest delta frequencies, but it proves that Daniel's brain is alive!"

"You mean that he's done it again? He's come back to life?"

Janet shook her head. "I don't think so, sir. I don't think that Daniel died at all. It's just that his pulse and respiration are so slow and faint that they're almost impossible to detect, except with machines. Even if I'd used a stethoscope, I probably would have missed it, unless I happened to be listening at exactly the right moment."

Jack shook his head in amazement and growing joy, realizing that, yet again, Daniel had somehow beaten the Grim Reaper. A huge smile lit his face. _'Yes, yes, __**yes**__! I should have __**known**__ I was right. Daniel just can't stay dead.' _

"Sir, I tried to find Sam," Janet told him. "She's not in her lab or her quarters, and she hasn't left the base."

"Did you try Daniel's office?"

"Yes, I called but got no answer. I was going to send someone over there."

"I'll go. Call Teal'c. You'll no doubt find him in his quarters. Have you contacted Hammond yet?"

"No, sir. I thought it only right to tell you, Sam and Teal'c first."

Jack left the infirmary and went to Daniel's office. When he saw that the door was closed, he knew that Sam was there. He found her curled into a tight ball on the cot, clutching what appeared to be one of Daniel's spare BDU jackets. Traces of tears marred her face, her nose red from hours of crying. Her eyes were closed, and Jack didn't know if she was asleep.

The colonel came up to his 2IC and knelt beside the cot. "Carter?"

Sam's body contracted into an even tighter ball, then her eyelids opened. Bloodshot eyes looked up at him with an expression of such pain that it made Jack's heart clench.

"Sam, listen to me. You have to listen carefully. None of us know yet why or how it's possible, but Daniel is not dead. He's alive."

Sam blinked a few times. "W-w-what?"

"He did it again. That stubborn, pain-in-the-ass archeologist is alive!"

Hope flared inside Sam's eyes like an exploding sun. She sat up quickly, finding it hard to believe, but wanting to more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. "Alive?"

Jack smiled at her, an honest to goodness, ear-to-ear grin. "Yes!"

Sam threw her arms around Jack's neck and hugged him so tightly that he felt in danger of strangulation. Then she was off the cot and running out the door. Still smiling, Jack followed her.

Teal'c was already there when Sam and Jack arrived in the ICU. There was a look of wonder on the Jaffa's face.

"Daniel Jackson is truly alive, O'Neill," he said.

Sam went up to the bed. She frowned upon seeing the EKG, but then she saw the EEG, proof that Daniel's brain was active.

"How can he be alive without a heart beat?"

"Ah, but he _does_ have one," Jack said. "Watch."

Sam returned her gaze to the monitor. Several seconds later, she saw it. Her mouth fell open. Around half a minute later, there it was again.

"My God," the astrophysicist whispered.

Janet came into the room. "Sam! Thank goodness the colonel found you!" The doctor came up and gave her friend a tight hug.

"How is this possible?" Sam asked her.

"I can't say for sure, but I have some theories."

Just then, General Hammond came in. He, too, looked a bit stunned. He stared down at Daniel. "This is incredible."

Jack grinned. "You can say that again, sir. But, considering that this is Daniel, I guess none of us should be surprised. Staying dead isn't something he seems capable of doing."

Sam turned back to Janet. "You were saying that you have some theories?"

The doctor nodded. "Do any of you know what tetrodotoxin is?"

"Isn't that the poison from puffer fish?" Sam asked.

"Yes. It's also found in several other animals. It is a neurotoxin that kills primarily by paralyzing the respiratory system. There have been cases of people with tetrodotoxin poisoning being declared dead because their pulse and respiration were so low as to be almost undetectable. It's one of the things in the zombie powder used by people who practice voodoo."

"You think that something like that has happened to Daniel?" Jack asked.

The doctor shook her head no. "For one thing, since the poison does not cross the blood-brain barrier, victims often remain fully conscious throughout the whole ordeal, but can't move in any way because of the complete paralysis."

"Oh my God," Sam gasped. "Daniel may have been conscious all this time? In the morgue, thinking that he was going to be--" Her voice choked off as she imagined the horror of being fully conscious and knowing that you were going to be autopsied while still alive.

Janet touched her arm. "No, Sam. I don't think that Daniel is conscious. As slow as his brainwave pattern is, it's very unlikely. The point that I was making is that tetrodotoxin does prove that the human body can be placed in a death-like state, yet still survive. The thing is, though, that victims of tetrodotoxin poisoning can suffer brain damage due to insufficient oxygen flow to the brain. I have not run any kind of scans on Daniel to check for brain damage yet, but I have a feeling there isn't any. What I believe is happening here is that he is in some kind of suspended animation, like an extreme form of hibernation. In hibernation, activity in the body's cells slows to a near standstill, dramatically cutting the need for oxygen. Studies have shown that the heart of a hibernating black bear can beat as slowly as eight times a minute, and there are animals in the rodent family that have heartbeats far lower than that during hibernation. One big difference with Daniel's condition, though, is that, during hibernation, body temperature drops. His is normal, which is a darn good thing since that's how I discovered that he was alive."

"Okay, so why?" Jack asked. "Why is he like this?"

"Maybe it's the only way that he could survive," Sam suggested. "The download was killing him, overwhelming his brain. Maybe Daniel's body went into stasis to stay alive."

"Do you think he did this on purpose?"

"That's hard to say," Janet replied. "It could have been done consciously or it could have been a case of his subconscious mind taking over and doing what needed to be done."

"Dormata," Sam murmured. She looked at the others. "There was this thing in the chamber in Antarctica that Daniel looked at. He said, 'Dormata', which sounds a lot like the word 'dormant', referring to something in a deep sleep. Thinking about it now, that thing Daniel looked at was a little bit like the stasis pods on the Stromos. I wonder if we were supposed to put him in it, but when he collapsed too soon and couldn't tell us what to do, he went into his own form of stasis."

"Okay, here's a question," Jack said. "How do we wake him up?"

"I'm afraid that I have no idea," Janet admitted, "and I'm not even sure we should try. If this stasis is keeping Daniel alive, rousing him could kill him."

"So, we just wait and hope that he comes out of it himself?" Sam asked.

"For right now, I think that's the wisest course of action. We will keep monitoring all of his life signs and occasionally run scans and certain tests to make sure that his condition is not deteriorating."

Hammond nodded. "Very well, Doctor. Please keep me informed. I need to contact the president and give him the good news." He looked at the three teammates. "You all look like you could use some sleep and probably something to eat as well. I think it would be a good idea to go do that."

"I agree," said Janet.

The general left before the objections began.

"Janet, I can't leave now," Sam insisted. "Daniel's alive! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? I don't want to leave him."

"Ditto for me," Jack stated firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I, too, do not wish to leave Daniel Jackson's side," Teal'c said.

Janet looked at the stubborn countenance of the three people and sighed. She really couldn't blame them for the way they felt. She kept wanting to run over to Daniel and touch him just to make sure this whole thing wasn't a figment of her imagination.

"All right. I've been considering putting Daniel in an isolation room so that he is disturbed as little as possible. There's enough room that you could set up cots."

Jack nodded sharply. "Works for me."

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President Hayes stepped into the room where the vice president's aide sat.

"Mister President!" she exclaimed in surprise, not having expected this visit.

Hayes nodded. "Good afternoon, Sara. Is he in?"

"Yes, sir. He was not expecting you."

The president smiled. "Yes, I know." He went to the door and opened it without knocking. Kinsey was sitting at his desk, lounging back in his chair, a pleased, almost smug expression on his face. Upon seeing his visitor, the expression disappeared, and he sat up straight.

"Mister President. I didn't get a call that you wished to see me. I'd have come to your office."

"That's okay, Bob. This time, I decided to come see _you_." He sat in one of the chairs. "Quite a day, wasn't it."

"Yes, it was, a victorious day, I must say."

"I agree, and we have SG-1 to thank for it."

Kinsey frowned. "Don't forget that it was because of SG-1 that we were put in danger in the first place. It was only right that they fix the problem they created." The frown faded. "However, I am willing to admit that they did a good job of getting rid of Anubis." His lips curved into an expression of satisfaction. "The threat has been eliminated."

Hayes had to wonder if the man was only thinking about Anubis or also about the elimination of the threat Daniel Jackson had posed to him. The president smiled inwardly. Oh, this was going to be so sweet.

"Yes, the threat of Anubis is gone, very good news for us all. And guess what. I have still more good news. It turns out that Doctor Jackson isn't dead after all."

The look of satisfaction instantly vanished from Kinsey's face. "What?! B-but how is that possible?"

"Well, it seems that he actually put himself into some kind of suspended animation, most likely to save his own life since the download of that Ancients' knowledge was killing him. It may be only a matter of time before he awakens, hopefully good as new."

Kinsey's mouth opened and closed several times, as if he was struggling for words.

"What's the matter, Bob? You don't look all that pleased that the man who saved the entire planet is alive."

The vice president finally found his voice. "I-I. . . . Of course I'm pleased, sir. I was just very surprised. It seems that Doctor Jackson has a knack for surviving against all odds."

Hayes grinned broadly. "Yes, he does, doesn't he. The man puts the survival skills of a cat to shame. Well, I just wanted to pass on the good news. I'll be heading on back to my office now."

The president left the office, still grinning. As he strolled down the hall, he began to whistle. Yep, today was a very good day indeed.

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Jack, Sam and Teal'c all made themselves as comfortable as possible in the isolation room that now held their teammate. During the hours that followed, at least one of them was there at all times, with the exception of the hour that was spent debriefing. Every time Sam was there at Daniel's bedside, she couldn't stop herself from devouring his face with her eyes, her hands constantly touching him. She would spend long minutes watching the life signs monitor for that occasional blip that proved that the man she loved was really alive. She had cried several times, this time with joy, though she wouldn't be truly happy until Daniel emerged from his state of suspended animation. Scans of Daniel's brain had showed no signs of damage, but Janet couldn't be sure what effect this whole thing would have on his mind.

Attempts to reach Thor had continued. Everyone had reasoned that, if the Asgard could remove the Ancient knowledge from Daniel, he could be safely aroused from the stasis.

Bra'tac had returned to Chulak, delighted that Daniel was alive. The knowledge that it had been he alone who controlled the weapons of the Ancients was something the Master Jaffa would not be sharing with anyone. The chances that the Goa'uld would find out were too great. He did, however, have every intention of passing on the news that "Dan'yar" had been instrumental in the destruction of Anubis.

As for the Lost City, it was still lost. The team that was immediately sent to the place SG-1 found in Antarctica discovered that it was far too small to have been a city. They determined that it had been some kind of outpost or base. Even so, it was an exciting discovery, and perhaps it would lead them to the real Lost City.

The rest of the day and the night passed with Daniel showing no sign of awakening. The good news was that his physical condition was not worsening, the periodic scans and tests showing no changes in his body or his brain.

Daniel's teammates were not the only company he had that day and night. Quite a few people at the SGC dropped in at one time or another, some for only a couple of minutes, others, like Ferretti, for a couple of hours. The lieutenant colonel kept muttering about Daniel being some kind of immortal.

The morning of the second day passed uneventfully for SG-1. Their mission reports were turned into the general, who, after reading them, declared that they were the most amazing reports he'd ever read.

It was just before noon when Sam found herself alone with Daniel, Jack and Teal'c having gone to get something to eat. Her hand was resting upon the archeologist's as she read a novel that Janet had brought for her. She didn't know why, but she had begun to read it aloud, as if some part of her was hoping that Daniel could hear her

Sam had just reached a funny part of the story and was laughing aloud when something happened that almost sent her jumping out of the chair. She gasped and stood, the book falling to the floor, forgotten. Daniel's hand had just moved.

"Daniel?" Getting no response, Sam looked at the life signs monitor. What she saw sent her scurrying to the phone.

"Janet, I think Daniel's waking up!"


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Within seconds of Sam's call, Janet was in the isolation room. She looked at the monitor. Sure enough, the archeologist's heart rate had increased to about nine beats per minute, and his respiration had almost doubled. His brainwave frequency and blood pressure had also risen.

Over the next several minutes, Daniel's vital signs continued to climb slowly. He was also displaying occasional muscle movement, a hand or a foot sometimes twitching.

Jack and Teal'c came into the room.

"What's up?" the colonel asked upon seeing Janet and Sam both hovering over Daniel.

"We think he's waking up, sir," Sam replied.

The two men immediately came forward and saw for themselves what was happening.

"Daniel? Come on there, buddy. It's time to wake up," Jack said.

There was no response, but Daniel's heart rate did increase a little more.

For the next eight minutes, Janet and Daniel's teammates remained huddled around the bed as their friend's vital signs kept climbing toward a normal range. At last, he was in the equivalent of a deep sleep.

"Daniel? Can you hear us?" Sam asked, hoping for a response. She got one. Daniel's eyes opened. He blinked a couple of times, then stared at the people gathered around his bed.

"Um . . . hi," he said, as if he'd merely awakened from a nap and was a bit surprised to see everyone hovering over him.

Sam started laughing, tears of happiness filling her eyes.

Jack laughed, too. "'Hi', he says, like nothing of any significance happened. Daniel, being dead is not something you're supposed to take for granted, even when it turns out that you weren't really dead after all."

Daniel looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"Do you remember what happened?" Janet asked him.

The archeologist frowned. "Sort of. I remember the download, going to Praclarush Taonas, then coming back here and. . . . Oh."

"Oh? What does 'oh' mean?" Jack asked.

"You thought I was dead?"

"Well . . . yeah, that's sort of what a person usually assumes when no heartbeat or breathing is found to be present."

"Can you explain what happened?" Janet asked Daniel.

"My mind had been almost completely overwhelmed, and I knew that, if I didn't do something quickly, I'd probably die. I tried to make it to the stasis chamber, but I was too far gone. I knew that I could put myself in stasis using what I'd learned from the Ancients' knowledge and my abilities with biofeedback. I tried to tell you what I was doing, but I guess you didn't understand."

"Everything you said was in Ancient, Daniel," Sam explained.

"You died, Daniel," Jack said, "or we _thought_ you died."

"But you found out that I was alive when you got me back to the SGC?"

Janet shook her head. "No, Daniel. A corpsman checked your pulse when SG-1 got you back here. When he didn't find one, I didn't even consider checking any further."

The archeologist's eyes widened a little. "Then that means that you. . . ."

"You were sitting in the morgue, Daniel," Jack said bluntly.

"For close to four hours," Teal'c added.

"Thank God I didn't have you put in the refrigeration unit," Janet stated.

"Thank God you didn't do an _autopsy_!" Jack nearly shouted.

That's when the color drained from Daniel's face, making Jack regret opening his big mouth

"Oh, jeez, Daniel. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you shouldn't," Janet agreed in a tone of censure. She turned to her patient. "That would not have happened, Daniel. As soon as the first cut for the Y-incision started to be made, the person doing the autopsy would have realized that something was going on when you began to bleed. He'd have stopped immediately."

Instead of soothing Daniel, the doctor's words made him feel a little sick, and with good reason! The thought of some guy with a scalpel bending over to. . . . Ugh!

Seeing the look on Daniel's face, Jack turned to Janet. "And you ball _me_ out for what _I_ said? I mean, could you be any more graphic? What you just said makes _me_ ill, and I wasn't the one it would have happened to!"

Janet bit her lip, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I wasn't thinking."

Daniel nodded, his gaze focused downward. When he'd placed himself in stasis, he hadn't considered that everyone would think he was dead. He looked at Sam, remembering that she had cried when he woke up. She looked tired, like she hadn't gotten much sleep.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, addressing all of them. "When I did it, I didn't consider that you might think I was dead."

"You haven't a damn thing to apologize for, Daniel," Jack told him. "You're alive. That's all that matters. Yes, you unintentionally put us all through over four hours of hell, but, considering that it's what kept you from dying for real, I have no problem with that."

"We're just so happy that you're alive," Sam told him, getting teary-eyed again.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

The doctor looked around at the others standing around the bed. "Okay, everyone, out you go. I need to examine Daniel and make sure everything's working properly."

Sam gave the archeologist's hand a squeeze. "We'll be back later."

Janet gave Daniel a complete physical, checking pretty much everything that could possibly be checked. She paid extra attention to testing his neurological functions. At the end of it all, she found him to be in perfect health.

"Amazing," she said. "Well, Daniel, you have once again made medical history. If I could actually write a paper about you, it would be the talk of the entire medical profession."

"What a shame you can't publish," Daniel responded with mild sarcasm.

"Yes, isn't it?" The doctor then smiled.

"You know, what I did isn't really all that extraordinary, Janet. It has been proven that Tibetan monks and Indian yogis can dramatically slow their heart rate and respiration while meditating. There was a case of a yogi who meditated for fifty-six hours inside an airtight cubicle that was only five feet by five feet by eight feet, which isn't nearly big enough for a normal person to survive in for that long without a source of oxygen. Afterwards, they completely filled the cubicle with water, and the yogi remained in there for an additional seven hours. When he was taken out, his pulse, blood pressure, and respirations were all normal. There were no signs of stress at all."

"That may be so, Daniel, but what you did is still amazing to me."

Daniel ducked his head. "So, can I go now?" he asked after a moment.

"Tired of our hospitality already?"

"Pretty much. I've been staying at this hotel way too often lately."

Janet shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I am going to have to keep you a little longer, Daniel."

"But--" Daniel stopped when she held up a finger.

"Not all that long ago, you were in a physical state that was just about as close to being dead as it's possible to be without actually _being_ dead. I want to keep an eye on you for just a little longer. There's also another concern."

"What's that?"

"The knowledge of the Ancients was not removed from your brain like it was Colonel O'Neill's, Daniel, which means that it's still in there somewhere."

Daniel went silent for several seconds. "I know."

Janet stared at him closely. "Daniel, do you remember it all?"

"No, not consciously. It was just too much for me to keep it all in my conscious mind. Don't ask me how I did it, but, somehow, I managed to shove most of it away into my subconscious. It might be possible that I could dig some more of it out, but I'd almost be afraid to. I wouldn't want to start the whole process over again."

"I agree. So, what _do_ you remember?"

Daniel's gaze drifted off. "Images mostly, memories of worlds and life forms that we have yet to discover. It was all in there, Janet, every world they'd ever been to, every race they'd ever encountered. Millions of years of exploring the galaxy." He turned back to her. "Janet, for right now, this needs to remain a secret. I'll tell Jack, Sam and Teal'c, and if he agrees not to report it to his superiors, I'll tell General Hammond, but no one else, at least not yet. Do you recall what happened after Shifu gave me that dream in which I had all the knowledge of the Goa'uld?"

"Yes, the NID thought that you might have retained the knowledge in your subconscious and wanted to see if they could dig any of it out."

"Just about the same thing happened after I descended. Some people thought that all that knowledge of the Ancients was still in my mind somewhere, and they wanted to get at it. As you'll recall, I let them hypnotize me that time to see if some of the stuff could be unearthed, especially my memories of the year I was ascended."

"But it failed."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't this time."

"And you don't want to take the chance of it triggering another overload."

Daniel nodded. "There is so much knowledge there, Janet. It could be used to do a lot of good, but it could also be used to commit unspeakable evil. No matter what I do, I need to make sure that this knowledge never gets into the hands of someone who would misuse it."

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Since there appeared to be nothing physically wrong with Daniel, Janet moved him out of the ICU and into one of the private rooms. She would have put him in the main ward, but she figured that he would likely be getting even more visitors now that he was conscious than he did before, and she didn't want the other patients constantly disturbed.

Daniel had no sooner been settled in his room when his teammates returned. Janet had given them the good news about his physical condition.

The moment she entered the room, Sam came up to Daniel, who was standing by the bed, and pulled him into a fierce embrace. The archeologist wrapped his arms around her and held on. When he felt her tremble slightly, he tightened his grasp, pressing his face against her hair, eyes closing.

It was a long time before Sam finally let go. There were tears in her eyes when she gazed up at him. He gave her a gentle smile and a soft kiss on the forehead.

The hug from Sam had not surprised Daniel, but the next one he got did. The moment Sam had moved away from him, Jack was there, giving him another tight hug. The colonel then cupped his face and ruffled his hair, just like so many years ago when Jack, Sam and Teal'c had discovered Daniel alive and well at the SGC after Apophis' ships were destroyed above Earth.

"Damn, it's good to see you alive, Daniel," Jack said.

"Indeed it is," agreed Teal'c as he stepped forward. Daniel got a hug from him, too.

"Janet told us that you're okay, completely healthy," Sam said, smiling.

"Yes, I'm fine, not a thing wrong with me," Daniel confirmed.

"But the little power monger won't let you go, right?" Jack asked, smirking.

"No, and I couldn't get her to change her mind. She wants to make sure I don't have a relapse."

Daniel's statement instantly sobered everyone.

Jack looked at his best friend worriedly. "There's no chance of that, is there?"

Daniel didn't reply, which heightened the concerns of his teammates.

"Daniel?" Sam said, a touch of fear in her voice.

Daniel sat on the bed. "There's something you need to know."

"We're not going to like this, are we," Jack guessed.

"Well, I don't know. In some ways, it could be a really good thing. In others. . . ." Daniel looked at his teammates one by one. "I still have the knowledge of the Ancients."

Everyone's eyes showed their surprise.

"You remember it all?" Sam asked, stunned.

Daniel shook his head. "No. I only consciously remember some things. Ever since I descended, we've all wondered if the knowledge I gained when I was ascended was still in my mind somewhere. I tried so hard to get at it, but, other than that memory of Erebus, I was never able to recall anything, not until I remembered what Baal did to Jack. And, even if all the memories of what I saw and did during that year _were_ still there in my subconscious somewhere, there was no guarantee that everything else was, too, the Ancient knowledge I would have gained after ascension. This time, it's different. I _know_ that it's all there, everything that the repository downloaded into my mind. And, if I really tried, I'm almost certain that I could bring it out of my subconscious."

"Holy Hannah," Sam breathed.

"I second that emotion," said Jack. "With all that knowledge, we could kick some serious Goa'uld ass. We could probably make more weapons like that one in Antarctica, arm ships--"

"Jack, you don't understand," Daniel interrupted. "If I tried to access that knowledge, there is a chance that it will all come flooding back into my conscious mind again."

"And you'd be in the same situation you were in before," Sam realized.

"Oh," Jack said. "Okay, forget what I said. We don't need it."

"Not yet, but there's no telling what the future will bring," Daniel told him. "Regardless, for right now, I think it would be best if nobody else knew about this. I had considered telling General Hammond, but it might be better not to put him in a position where he may have to lie to his superiors. If he doesn't know, he won't get into trouble."

Jack nodded. "I agree. Let's keep this just between us."

"I concur," Teal'c said. "Such knowledge could be dangerous if certain individuals were to learn of it."

"Yeah, like the NID," Jack muttered.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not worried about the NID, Jack. I can handle them. There are other people we have to worry about a whole lot more."

The archeologist's teammates all pondered on his words, thinking about the people who were behind the incident in Los Angeles and may have also been involved in the murder attempts on Daniel and the theft at Area 51.

"So what else do you remember?" Jack asked. "Do you remember everything that happened after the download?"

"No. I remember a lot of it, but my memories of the things that happened during those last few hours are kind of sketchy. It's like I wasn't all there anymore. Most of the time, I was still somewhat aware of everyone, but I was so focused on the stuff inside my head that everything else was only on the periphery of my senses. There are some moments that I have no memory of at all in regards to what was going on around me. But I remember the last few minutes perfectly, everything that happened from the time I sat down in that chair at the Antarctica outpost and took control of that weapon until I put myself in stasis."

"Do you remember healing Teal'c?" Sam asked.

Daniel's eyes met the Jaffa's. "Yes. I looked at him, and I just _knew_ that I could heal him. I didn't even think about it."

"Your actions saved my life, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "I am in your debt."

Daniel shook his head. "No you're not, Teal'c. If our situations had been reversed, you'd have done the same thing."

"How about that amazing piece of piloting you did in the mountains?" Jack asked. "I gotta tell ya, Daniel, I was damn impressed. The next time we have to go up against some death gliders, I'm letting you take the controls."

The archeologist gave him rueful look. "Sorry, Jack, but I don't think I could ever do that again. I think that, because of the download, my brain was on overdrive. While I was flying that ship, my senses expanded way beyond anything that's ever happened before. I'm pretty sure that I'm not capable of that ordinarily, just like I couldn't ordinarily heal someone."

"Too bad. It was one hell of a ride."

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Janet kept Daniel in the infirmary the rest of the day and that night. During that time, he rarely lacked for company. At least one of his teammates was often there, and he could have sworn that nearly half the personnel on base came to visit at one time or another. Every single person who came to see him thanked him for what he'd done.

Come Saturday morning, there had been absolutely no indication that Daniel was going to suffer a relapse. Even so, when Janet released him, she insisted that he remain on-base for the rest of the weekend.

The archeologist didn't waste any time leaving the infirmary. He headed straight for his office. He was almost there when Jack came walking up to him. Actually, bouncing would have been a more accurate description.

"Hey. Doc just let you out?" he asked.

"Yep, and, now, I've got a million things to do before I leave."

Jack frowned. "Leave? What do you mean leave? I thought Fraiser wanted you to stay on-base through the weekend."

"She does. But, come Monday, I need to make arrangements to go to Antarctica."

"Why on Earth would you want to go back there?"

"According to the team that's there now, there's a ton of written data that the Ancients left behind. It's all written in Ancient, so. . . ."

"So, you being the only guy around who's fluent in it, they want you there."

"Uh huh. They've requested my help. Who knows what information is there, Jack. We might still be able to find the Lost City."

"Daniel, you just _died_, for cryin' out loud! Well, okay, so you didn't _really_ die, but we all _thought_ you did, and it was damn near close to it. Don't you think that maybe, possibly, you might want to take some time off? You know, kick back, relax, have some fun. You do remember what fun is, right?"

Daniel sighed. "Yes, Jack, I do remember what fun is, but I can't afford to take time off right now. This is too important."

Jack stared at Daniel closely. "Has Carter talked to you?"

"About what? Taking time off?"

Jack realized that Daniel had just answered his question. If Sam had told the archeologist that she was in love with him, there was no way that he would be thinking about going to Antarctica. "Okay, I guess she hasn't."

"Jack, what are you talking about?"

An odd little smile curved Jack's lips. "Oh, never mind. I'm sure she'll talk to you soon."

Frowning, Daniel made a move to resume his journey to his office, but he was stopped by Jack's hand on his shoulder.

"Ah ah! Not so fast. I happen to know that you've not had your breakfast yet, and I am here to take you to the commissary. Doctor's orders."

Daniel looked at him suspiciously. "Doctor's orders or your orders?"

"Doesn't matter. You're coming either way."

Figuring that it would be easier just to go ahead and go with him, Daniel let the colonel lead him to the commissary. He was surprised to see that the doors were closed. As he swung them open, a loud "Surprise!" made him freeze. Daniel's mouth fell open. The entire commissary had been decorated with streamers and other party decorations. The place was packed with grinning people, some of them wearing party hats. A big banner that read "Saved the World Again!" was hanging from the ceiling.

Grinning, Jack said, "You didn't think we were going to pass up the opportunity for another 'Saved the World' party, did you?"

Daniel looked at him. "How come nobody told me?"

Sam came up and gave him a hug. "Because you're the guest of honor, and we wanted it to be a surprise."

"But . . . but we all did it together," Daniel objected. "It wasn't just me."

"Yeah, the rest of us played a part," Jack agreed, "and so did all those F-302 pilots and the crew of the Prometheus, but, if it hadn't been for you, nothing that any of the rest of us did would have mattered."

Before Daniel could make any more objections, he was dragged into the party. Since no alcoholic beverages were being served, the archeologist was not in danger of getting drunk, but so many people handed him glasses of punch to toast with that he _was_ in danger of floating away.

It was a great party, full of lots of happy conversation and laughter. Unfortunately, there was a certain Air Force major who was definitely not enjoying it a whole lot. It seemed like every time Sam looked at Daniel, some woman was either hugging or kissing him. Granted, the kisses were all on the cheek, but there was no doubt that several of the women would have been more than happy to plant their kisses elsewhere. Sam was jealous. Sam was seeing green. Sam was just about ready to take the next woman who stepped anywhere _near_ Daniel and show her what level-three advanced hand-to-hand combat training could do.

"So, when are you going to get off your butt and tell him?"

Sam turned to her C.O., who had just walked up to her. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me, Carter. When are you going to tell Daniel that you love him?"

Sam blushed. "Sir, that's awfully personal."

Jack snorted. "Carter, I was there when you thought that Daniel had just died in your arms. I watched you fall apart. There's no such thing as too personal when it comes to the four of us, not anymore." He paused. "Well, okay, so maybe details on our love lives might still be considered too personal, but, other than that. . . ." Jack grew serious. "He could have died, Sam, never knowing that you love him like that. Don't you think it's time to let him know?"

Sam sighed. "Yes, sir. I just didn't want to do it here, on the base. It's, well. . . ."

"Something that deserves complete privacy?"

"Yeah."

"I can understand that. Declarations of love aren't meant for military bases."

At that moment, Daniel came hurrying up to them. Jack almost laughed at the look of desperation in his eyes.

"Sam, please save me," he pleaded. "They're everywhere!"

"Daniel, don't tell me you're seeing dead Goa'uld again," Jack said.

"Frankly, Jack, I'm beginning to think that would be preferable to this. The Linvris weren't as persistent."

"Who are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"Them!" He turned around and pointed at three women, who all smiled and waved. Sam recognized them as nurses from the infirmary. "All of them! Every time I turn around, some woman is hugging me, or kissing me, or insisting that I eat something, or-or-or. . . ."

Sam's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Or what?" she growled. If any of these women were putting their hands someplace they shouldn't be, heads would roll.

Daniel had been distracted by Ferretti, who had grinned and waved at him, so he didn't catch Sam's reaction. "And it's not just the women!" he exclaimed.

Jack, who had been taking a drink from his punch glass, choked and sputtered. "The men are hugging and kissing you, too?" he managed to say between coughs.

"No, of course not! Well, there have been a few hugs, just . . . just the, um, you know, manly type hugs." Daniel was blushing now. "But if I have to give one more handshake, my arm is going to drop off."

Both Sam and Jack were grinning now.

"They're just happy, Daniel," the colonel explained, "and trying to show their appreciation to you. The rest of us have gotten a bit of it, too."

"Well, it's getting kind of overwhelming."

Sam took his arm in hers. "Come on, Daniel. I'll help fight them off."

"You need backup, Major?" Jack asked, amused.

"No, I think I can handle it, sir."

With Sam's help, Daniel managed to mostly avoid getting more handshakes since she had deliberately taken hold of his right arm. There were also no more hugs or kisses from women, which was no surprise considering the deadly glare that Sam focused on nearly every female who dared to approach. Sam knew that a lot of the women were going to come to the conclusion that she was marking her territory, but she didn't care. As far as she was concerned, Daniel _was_ her territory. Whether or not he noticed what was going on between her and the other women was something that Sam didn't know. He hadn't given any outward indication that he had.

There was one particular person, however, who _did_ notice Sam's behavior. General George Hammond walked up to Jack, his eyes on Daniel and Sam, who, at the moment, were laughing at something they were talking about.

"Colonel, I'm beginning to get the feeling that there's something about two of your team members that I should know."

"Uhhh . . . yes, sir, there probably is, or at least there will be soon."

Hammond looked at his 2IC. "I take it that there is nothing going on between them presently."

"No. But I've known for quite a while now that Daniel has . . . a lot more than friendship feelings for Carter."

"And the major?"

"She feels the same way, though I think it's only been recently that she finally figured it out."

"I see. I don't have to tell you that I have some serious reservations about this. Teammates entering into a relationship with each other can be disastrous."

"Yes, I know, sir, but if there are any two people in the world who deserve to find happiness with each other, it's them. And I don't want to lose either of them from my team."

"Yes, they certainly do deserve it, Jack." The general thought about it for a moment. "All right, I will leave this up to your discretion. If you feel that they are successfully handling having a relationship and being teammates, I won't ask you to break up the best damn team the SGC has ever had. But if any problems arise, I expect you to do what's necessary for the sake of the team and your missions."

"Yes, sir." Jack thought of something. "Sir, Daniel talked about going to the outpost in Antarctica."

Hammond nodded. "His translation skills would be a big asset to the team that's there."

"Sir, Anubis is history, so there's no big rush to find the Lost City now. And, well, I'd consider it a personal favor if you would order Daniel to take a week off. And, while you're at it, a week off for Carter, too, would be _most_ excellent."

The general's eyes were twinkling when he looked at Jack. "Colonel O'Neill, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were matchmaking."

"No, sir, no matchmaking. Don't need to anymore. But some time off would be . . . conducive to going on a date or two."

Hammond chuckled. "Very well, Jack. Consider it done. In fact, consider yourself and Teal'c also on leave, effective Monday. I believe that Doctor Jackson is under medical orders to remain on base until then."

"Yes, sir. And thank you."

"You're welcome." Hammond looked over at Daniel. "It's the very least I can do for that young man."

Daniel wasn't all that happy a short while later when Jack rather smugly told him that SG-1 had been ordered to take a week off.

"Oh, cheer up, Daniel," the colonel said. "I think it's safe to say that Antarctica isn't going anywhere. It'll still be there in a week or two."

"Besides, we could all really use some time off," Sam remarked, which made Daniel stare at her in surprise.

"I'd have thought that you would be eager to dig into all that technology at the outpost," he said.

"Oh, I am. Absolutely. But, like the colonel says, it'll still be there after our leave." There was no way that Sam was going to pass up the opportunity for some time off. She had big plans, and those plans included a certain archeologist, who was still looking at her in surprise.

Daniel finally shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right. A little time off might be good."

Jack smiled. "Darn right it will. After all, even superheroes need a vacation every once in awhile, especially after saving the Earth yet again."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Daniel's eyes were glued to the images on the computer screen. The team at the Ancient outpost had sent some video and photos to him via satellite, and he was now pouring over the text. He really wished that he could be there in person. It was more than just the crumbling ruins of a city once inhabited by the Ancients. It was a fully functional outpost, and it was right here on Earth.

There was only one thing that was keeping Daniel from going to General Hammond and pleading that he be allowed to go to Antarctica right away: Sam. Now that his life was no longer hanging in the balance and the threat of Anubis was gone, he was really thinking about what happened at his house between the two of them. After waking up to find Sam lying beside him during the trip to Taonas, he had openly flirted with her, and she had seemed to welcome it. In fact, Daniel was wondering what would have happened if Jack hadn't picked that moment to come check on them. Daniel was seriously considering asking Sam out on a date while they were on leave, which would be starting tomorrow.

The archeologist's attention returned to his computer. He began speaking the text aloud in Ancient, only half-aware that he was doing so. He was so engrossed in what he was reading that he didn't become aware that someone was approaching until the person had entered the room. Daniel turned to see Sam just inside the doorway, a look of horror on her pale face. Seeing the expression, Daniel immediately stood up.

"Sam? What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"Y-you were speaking Ancient," she whispered.

"What?" Daniel glanced at the monitor, realizing what she must have thought. "Oh! No, Sam, it's okay!" He took a quick step forward. "The Antarctic team sent over some stuff, and I was reading it. Instead of translating it aloud, I ended up reading it in Ancient. I'm okay. Really."

Sam's body relaxed from its tense stance. "I thought. . . ."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Sam sighed. "I guess it's going to take time for me to get over the fear that, at any moment, it might start all over again." She moved further into the room. "It's like there's this . . . this time bomb inside your brain that could go off at any minute. And it's a little frightening. It's funny, but I never thought that I'd be unhappy about having a potential source for advanced technology, but I honestly wish that you didn't still have all that stuff inside your head. I've been thinking that, the next time we see Thor, you should ask him to remove it."

Knowing how excited Sam got over new technology, Daniel was a little surprised by her announcement. But then again, she had watched him 'die', so he could understand why she wouldn't want to take the chance of it happening again.

"Sam, though I can't say that I'm delighted by the knowledge that what happened to me could happen again, I can't throw this away. It's too important. We don't know when a time might come that we'll really need something that's in here." Daniel tapped on the side of his head. "At least, now, I know what to do if it does happen again. And, if all else failed, there is the stasis chamber at the outpost. It could keep me in stasis indefinitely, until Thor could be contacted and come to help. So, no matter what happens, I'm not going to die . . . well, at least not from this."

"Well, it still scares me." Sam sat in a chair. "Daniel, what was it like? The download didn't affect you exactly the same way it did the colonel. He didn't keep zoning out like you did, and he barely remembered any of the stuff he did."

"It's hard to describe. There were times when I felt so out of control, yet other times when I felt like . . . like my mind was wide open and free. Sometimes . . . sometimes, I felt like I wasn't even human anymore. The knowledge I had was so incredible, so vast. It's no wonder that our brains are incapable of consciously containing it all."

"But it can _unconsciously_ contain it all?"

"Apparently so, or at least mine can."

"When did you begin to suspect that? I mean, you must have had some idea that was possible when you put yourself in stasis."

"I got to thinking about what happened those times that I fell asleep and what we talked about concerning it."

"About your subconscious blocking some of the knowledge from your conscious mind while you slept."

Daniel gave a nod. "It dawned on me that, each time that happened, my subconscious was safely holding all that knowledge. The problem was that the stuff kept leaking back out into my conscious mind. I realized that, if I could figure out a way to put it all back into my subconscious and somehow keep it there, I'd be okay. But I was pretty sure that, to do that, I'd have to be in the equivalent of an unconscious state. I knew that, with biofeedback, I could lower my brainwave pattern down to a low delta frequency."

"But you did a lot more than that."

"Yeah. I was dying, running out of time. I knew that the stasis pod would keep me alive, lower my body functions to a level that would allow me to survive, prevent more damage from happening. When I couldn't get to the pod, I chose to put myself in stasis until I'd managed to store the Ancients' knowledge in my subconscious. Even then, I wasn't certain that the knowledge wouldn't eventually start leaking back out. I'm pretty sure now that, as long as I don't start poking around in my brain for it, the knowledge will stay put where it is."

Sam didn't say anything for a while, a question coming into her mind, one that she'd thought about several times already.

"Um . . . there is something that I've been wondering if you remember," she finally said. "When you were working on the transport rings, I asked you something. Do you remember anything about that at all?"

Daniel frowned. "I think I remember you being there, but I can't remember anything you said." A memory teased at him. "You helped me with what I was doing, didn't you?"

Sam nodded. "Once I figured out what you were doing, I gave you a hand, although, to be honest, I didn't help much. You were operating way above my abilities."

Daniel shook his head. "You know, even though I remember doing that stuff, it just doesn't seem like it was really me. It feels so surreal now, all except what happened right at the end. That is very real to me. I remember taking control of the weapon and attacking the Goa'uld ships, and I remember after it was all over, trying to tell you to put me in the stasis chamber." His eyes met Sam's. "You were holding me, telling me not to die. You were crying."

Sam nodded, swallowing the lump that had just formed in her throat.

"I tried to tell you not to cry, that I wasn't going to die, that I was just . . . going to sleep for a while."

"I wish I'd understood you. Those hours that I thought you were dead, they were so. . . ." Sam's eyes filled with tears. "God, I've never hurt that much in my life."

Daniel took her hand in his. "I'm so sorry, Sam. I didn't mean to put any of you through that."

Sam's turned her hand upward and wrapped her fingers around his. She gave him a somewhat weak smile. "I know you didn't, Daniel." Her smile faded. "But I can't forget that, if you hadn't been able to put yourself in stasis, you would have died for real. I've lost you too many times already. I can't lose you again."

Daniel looked into Sam's eyes, seeing the lingering trace of grief there. He gently touched her cheek as the last uncertainty he felt about asking her on a date disappeared.

"Sam, I was wondering if. . . ."

Watching Daniel closely, Sam became puzzled when his voice trailed off, and his eyes widened slightly. She was even more surprised when a huge smile beamed across his face.

"Yes," he suddenly said.

Sam's brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "Yes?"

Daniel's smile got even bigger. "Yes."

Sam shook her head slightly. "Daniel, what are you--"

"Yes, I'll go on a date with you."

Sam gasped, her eyes going wide. "Y-you remember?"

Daniel's smile was now a full-blown grin. "Uh huh, just now. You were right, Sam. That was really lousy timing for asking a guy out."

Sam grew a matching grin and laughed. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself. You have no idea how many times I'd tried to ask before then."

Daniel's smile turned slightly mischievous. "Oh? How many times is that?"

"Um, I believe it had been six times by then, five, if you don't count when I decided to kiss you instead when I came to your house."

Daniel laughed. "I sure can't complain about _that_ decision."

Sam also laughed. "I bet you'll never guess when the first time was."

Daniel frowned in concentration. "Hmm." All at once it hit him, and his eyes widened again. "That's what it was that you came to ask me just before my house blew up?"

Sam pouted. "Darn. You guessed."

"Wow. Well, that definitely makes up for the lousy timing of the _last_ time, because that was really, really _good_ timing. Your attempt to ask me out saved my life!"

That thought dimmed Sam's playfulness. "Yeah."

Daniel grew serious as well. "I would be delighted to go on a date with you, Sam. I would be delighted to go on that date tonight if I wasn't confined to the base."

"So . . . tomorrow night?"

Daniel gave her a nod and a smile. "Tomorrow night."

"Good. I guess we can talk about the details later?"

The archeologist nodded. "That'll give me time to plan something nice."

Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, Sam rose to her feet. "Okay. I, um . . . I'll see you later, then."

Five minutes after Sam had left, the smile was still on Daniel's face. His mind was so focused on the upcoming date that he failed to sense the presence of a certain Air Force colonel until it was too late to adopt a bland expression before said Air Force colonel came in.

"Well, someone looks mighty pleased with something," Jack remarked. "Care to share?"

"No, not really."

"Hmm. You know, I just spotted Carter a couple of minutes ago, and guess what. She was humming. Now, the last time, in fact, the _only_ time I've seen Carter humming was when she was dating that Pete guy. So, I gotta ask myself what would be hum-worthy _this_ time? Could it possibly have something to do with the ear-to-ear grin a certain archeologist had on his face when I just came in now?"

Daniel sighed, knowing that there was no point in acting innocent. "All right, if you must know, Sam and I are going out tomorrow night."

"Out? As in out on a date?"

Daniel nodded.

"A _real_ date?"

"Yes, Jack, a real date, romantic dinner and everything, though the particulars haven't been worked out yet."

Expecting a wisecrack from Jack, Daniel was surprised when, instead, the older man smiled happily and said, "That's great, Daniel."

"What, no less than amusing remarks about how long it took us or asking if I even remember what to do on a date?"

Jack's face was completely serious. "Not this time, Daniel. I'm really glad that this is happening. There were those few hours that I believed you were never going to get this chance."

That quickly sobered the archeologist.

Jack pushed that sad thought out of his mind. He patted Daniel's shoulder. "Well, I'll leave you alone to plan your big date." He turned to leave, then paused. "You do remember what to do on a date, don't you, Danny Boy?"

_'I knew it!'_ Daniel exclaimed in his mind. "I think I can figure it out, Jack," he said aloud.

"You sure? 'Cus, if you need any help, I can give you some pointers."

Daniel glared at him. "Jack, how long has it been since the last time you were on a date? And, no, Kynthia and Laira don't count."

"How come?"

"Because Kynthia drugged and seduced you, and Laira . . . well, you didn't date her."

"Fine. Then it's been a while, not since the last time that Sara and I went out to dinner." Jack glared at Daniel. "Unless that doesn't count either."

"Well, technically, it wasn't a date since you two were already married, but we can count it."

"Well, thank you very much," Jack said sarcastically. "And what about you, Mister Honorary Monk."

Daniel smiled. "As it so happens, I dated Sha're."

"You did not! You got yourself hitched to her the day we got there!"

"I'm talking about afterwards, Jack, after you guys left. Yes, by the laws of the Abydonians, we were married, but, since I didn't get the pleasure of getting to know her first, I insisted that we have at least a couple of dates before . . . well, before you know." Daniel blushed slightly. "Dating isn't a custom the Abydonians have, so I had to explain it to Sha're. She laughed at the whole idea, wondering why we had to do something like that when we were already married. I insisted, so we had a date . . . well, sort of. Sha're fixed dinner for us, and I lit some candles and laid down a few furs for us to sit on. We spent the evening sharing things about ourselves, getting to know each other better." A gentle smile touched Daniel's face. "It was really nice."

Jack smiled, too. "And how many of these dates did you go on before you got down to the . . . _business_ of being married?"

Daniel's blush returned. "Well, um, just . . . just the one."

Jack had to squash his grin with an effort. "Ah, I see. Okay, Daniel. I have confidence that you do remember how to date. Just don't forget that you and Carter _aren't_ married . . . well, at least not yet."

With a smug smile, Jack left, feeling pleased and content that his best friend was finally going to get what he so desperately wanted.

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Janet stared at Sam in surprise as she came into the infirmary. The astrophysicist looked extremely happy, her steps springy and light.

"Well, you look pleased about something," the doctor said.

Sam smiled. "Can we talk?"

"Um, sure. Just let me take care of a few things first. You can wait for me in my office."

Janet finished her rounds, then met Sam in the office.

"Okay, so what's got you looking so happy? Oh, by the way, I've heard about what was going on at the party. A couple of my nurses said that they almost feared for their lives when they tried to get close to Daniel. It seems that there was this Air Force major who was glaring daggers at any female who dared to approach the man her arm was latched onto."

Sam looked suitably embarrassed. "Okay, so I might have overdone it a little. I just got tired of seeing him get mauled by everything with breasts."

"Ah, the green-eyed monster strikes again. Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about that again, at least not around here. Most of the women got the message loud and clear. If not from first-hand experience, then from others telling them. They know that you've staked your claim."

Sam blushed, embarrassed that every woman on the base now knew that she wanted Daniel for herself. Oh, well. Once word got out that she and Daniel were dating, everyone would know anyhow.

"So, back to my original question. Why so happy?" Janet asked.

"Daniel and I are going on a date Monday."

The doctor smiled delightedly. "Really? That's great, Sam. So, you finally asked him out?"

"Well, yes, but, uh, not just now. This is sort of a . . . delayed response."

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind."

Janet studied her closely for a few seconds. "Okay. So, are you nervous?"

"A little, but I know it's going to be good. I mean, it _has_ to be good, right? Daniel and I are already really good friends. We get along great. We have no trouble finding things to talk about. So, why wouldn't it be a good date?"

"Yes, you are very good friends who get along well, but this is a _date_, Sam, with all the hopes and expectations that come with a date. Things are a little different on a date than they are on a friendly dinner with a friend."

Sam sighed. "Okay, I lied. I'm more than a little nervous. I want it to be perfect. I don't want Daniel to be disappointed."

"Sam, he's in love with you. I seriously doubt that any date with you could disappoint him. Besides, he's probably as worried about the date being good as you are."

Sam nodded, trying to calm her nerves.

"So, where are you going?"

"I don't know yet. Daniel is going to make the arrangements."

"Well, Sam, I'm sure that you'll have a wonderful time, no matter what you do."

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As soon as Daniel was allowed to leave Monday morning, he started making arrangements for the date. He had already phoned in the dinner reservations yesterday, wanting to make sure that he got a table for the restaurant he'd chosen. It was a very expensive restaurant, the kind that Daniel would never go to except on an occasion like this. He knew that fancy restaurants were not something Sam had any interest in normally, but he wanted this date to be special, one that neither of them would ever forget--not that he would forget anyway. It was with _Sam_ that he was going on a date. It would be special to him even if they went to McDonald's for a Big Mac and fries.

While Daniel was making preparations for the date, Sam was at home, agonizing over what she would wear. She'd gone through the entire contents of her closest, twice, and just couldn't find anything that she felt was good enough. And what about her hair? Up or down? Curly or straight? Oh, man, what about the shoes?

_'Get a grip, Sam. It's just a date!'_ she told herself, followed immediately by, _'Yeah, a date with Daniel, the man you are head over heels in love with. When was the last time you had a date with someone you felt like this about?' _

Sam abruptly sat on the bed as the answer came to her. Never. She had never dated or even been involved with a man that she truly loved, not like this. Jonas Hanson, Narim, Martouf, Pete. She had cared deeply about all of them, but she had not been in love with any of them, not even Jonas, the man she was going to marry. Not even Jack.

God, she had been so delusional. Daniel had been right when, while under the influence of the sarcophagus, he'd said that she had never really known what love is. Even in the years that passed since then, that remained true--up until the day she realized that she was in love with Daniel. With Jonas, she had loved an illusion and the idea of being in love. With Jack . . . physical attraction, admiration and respect, and the feelings of a friend had grown into an infatuation that she couldn't let go of even though she knew that she should. She had thought that she knew what love was, but she had been wrong, for real love had been there all along, all these seven years, and she didn't recognize it for what it was. Sam smiled. Now that she did, she intended to hold onto it and cherish it for the rest of her life.

The major got to her feet and left the bedroom. Grabbing her purse, she headed out the door, intending to spend a whole lot of money on the dress she would wear for her first date with the only man she had ever really loved.

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Daniel drummed his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as he waited for the light to change. For the hundredth time, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror, hoping that he looked okay. He then chastised himself. _'What difference does it make? Sam knows what you look like. She's seen you covered in dirt, exhausted from lack of sleep, sick, injured, even dead. It doesn't matter whether or not you look okay.'_ He glanced in the mirror again. _'I hope I picked the right tie.' _

The changing of the light to green put a halt to Daniel's thoughts. A couple of minutes later, he was pulling up in front of Sam's house. Grabbing the object that sat on the seat beside him, Daniel got out of the car and walked up to the door. He set what he was holding out of sight on the porch and, taking a deep, steadying breath, knocked on the door. Maybe twenty seconds passed when the door opened--and Doctor Daniel Jackson, holder of Ph.D.'s in archeology, anthropology and philology, was rendered utterly speechless. His mouth fell open as he stared at the vision before him.

Sam's hair was piled on top of her head in a mass of curls, a few soft tendrils escaping to fall down her neck and the sides of her face. She was wearing a halter top black cocktail dress that clung to every curve like a second skin. Its v-neck displayed a tantalizing amount of cleavage. The rounded hemline dipped to mid-knee at the sides and rose to several inches above the knees at the front. Slowly following the long line of her legs, Daniel saw that Sam had on a pair of open-toed sandals that wrapped around the ankles and bore three-inch stiletto heels.

"Wow," he breathed, finally discovering his voice. "Sam, you look . . . wow." Okay, so he'd found his voice, but still seemed incapable of putting to use any of his usually impressive linguistic skills.

Apparently, Daniel's lack of higher language skills was okay with Sam, because she blushed and smiled brightly. Then she took her turn at ogling. He was dressed in an expensive, beautifully tailored charcoal grey suit that fit him to perfection, showing off his strong, broad shoulders. Beneath the suit jacket was a royal blue shirt that somehow managed to make his incredibly blue eyes look even bluer. His black tie had diagonal blue stripes that matched the shirt perfectly. The thought went through Sam's mind that he looked good enough to eat.

"Wow, to you, too, Daniel," she said, very tempted just to forget the date and drag him straight into the bedroom.

The archeologist blushed at the compliment. "Oh! Um, I have something for you." He bent over and picked up a cut glass vase full of a dozen blood-red roses, which had been hiding out of Sam's sight. The major gasped and took the bouquet.

"Oh, Daniel, they're beautiful! Thank you. Come in, and let me put these on the table."

As Sam headed to the dining room, Daniel came into the living room, finding his eyes drawn to the expanse of bare skin on her back and the sway of her hip. Clearing his throat, he dragged his eyes away before he was caught ogling again. If possible, he was feeling even more nervous now than he did before. Sam was so beautiful. How could someone like her have any interest in a guy like him?

Sam got her coat and let Daniel help put it on. The cold air nipped at Sam's bare toes as they walked to the car, making her question the wisdom of her choice in footwear, but the sexy black sandals had called out to her the moment she'd seen them, just like the dress she was wearing did. It, too, was not very practical for this time of year, but she had wanted to look sexy for Daniel, so long sleeves and a high neckline just wasn't going to cut it. She was glad that she'd made the choice she did, even if she was a bit cold now. The look that had been on Daniel's face when he first saw her made her present discomfort worthwhile.

Daniel opened the door for Sam and waited for her to get in. He then shut it and went around to the driver's side. A moment later, they were on the road.

"So, where are we going?" Sam asked.

Daniel smiled slightly. "You'll see."

Sam fell silent, wondering what surprise Daniel had in store for her.


	13. Chapter 13

Okay, here's the date you guys have been waiting for all this time. Because of policy about song lyrics, I had to remove the lyrics of the song in this chapter, although I did manage to include some of the most important sentiments in the chapter. If you're not familiar with the song, I'd recommend that you go to one of the hundreds of Web sites out there that have song lyrics and look it up. The quickest way is to look up the song on Google.

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN 

Sam's question about where Daniel was taking her was answered as they pulled into the parking lot for what many claimed was the finest restaurant in Colorado Springs. It was also one of the most expensive. Sam's mouth fell open.

"Daniel, do you have any idea how expensive this place is?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," he replied with a little smile. And that's all he said as he found a parking place.

Upon entering the restaurant, Daniel gave the Maitre d' his name. After looking up the reservation, the man called for a waiter to take them to their table.

As they walked through the restaurant, Daniel did not fail to notice all the looks that Sam got from the men they passed. He stepped just a tiny bit closer to her, placing his hand on her lower back, just below where her dress ended. He was tempted to put his hand higher just so that he could touch her bare skin, but he didn't want to take too many liberties. After all, this was their first date.

Sam felt Daniel's hand upon her back and had to contain a shudder. She wished that he'd put it just a wee bit higher so that she could feel him touching her skin. She had noticed more than one female head swiveling in their direction, and the look many of them had given Daniel was definitely admiring, some of them even a bit predatory. She sent a glare in the direction of a couple of them.

Both Sam and Daniel were glad when they arrived at their table, which was tucked away in a corner, affording a nice bit of privacy.

The waiter asked if they'd like some wine, and Daniel ordered a bottle that Sam knew was quite pricey.

"You know, it really isn't necessary to spend all this money on me, Daniel," Sam told the archeologist after the waiter was gone. "It's not like you have to impress me." She smiled. "You impressed me the day we met. Heck, you impressed me even _before_ we met."

Daniel was both pleased and a little puzzled by the comment. "How's that?"

"When Catherine told me that she was going to try to recruit you for the, um . . . project, I decided to find out a little more about you, and what I read was quite impressive. It's not everyone who can master twenty-three spoken languages, probably a dozen dead languages, and earn three doctorates all by their mid-twenties. I read all the papers you published, and I thought they were quite good, even if they weren't on my field of expertise. During the two weeks that you were working on the project, Catherine gave me periodic updates. She talked about you a lot." Sam smiled again. "She became quite fond of you, you know. She said that she wished she'd hired you when they first started trying to figure out the coverstone. She told me that I'd like you. Judging by what I'd read and heard, I thought so, too."

A memory came to Daniel's mind. "Ah, so _that's_ why you said that."

"Said what?"

"In the map room, after I stumbled upon the reason why you hadn't been able to connect to other . . . locations, you told me that you knew you'd like me."

"Oh, yeah. I did say that, didn't I." Though a lot of horrible things happened that day, she would always be grateful that it brought Daniel into her life.

"Okay, back to what I was saying before," she said. "It is totally unnecessary for you to spend this kind of money on me."

"I know that, Sam. I'm not doing this to impress you; I'm doing it because I want tonight to be special. We could have gone to Denny's or some other place like that, but Denny's isn't special . . . and it's not even close to being good enough for a date with you." Daniel laid his hand over hers. "A date with you deserves a place like this. It deserves _more_."

Sam blushed slightly at the compliment. She gave his hand a little squeeze. "Have you been here before?"

Daniel shook his head. "I never had a good reason to."

"You never brought another date here?"

Daniel stared at her. "Sam, you should know better than anyone that I haven't dated since Sha're."

"Not even once?"

The archeologist shook his head. "Not even once. After Sha're died, I really didn't have any desire to date."

Sam nodded. "I guess I knew that. I mean, I thought that was the case. But it's been over four and a half years. I thought that, maybe after you . . . came back, you might have gone on a date or two. I mean, you seemed to be in a better frame of mind about her death, like you'd finally moved on."

"No, not even after that." Daniel looked deeply into her eyes. "My heart was already taken, even though I didn't know it yet."

The return of the waiter prevented Sam from responding. He poured Daniel a bit of the wine. The archeologist tasted it and nodded his approval. The waiter filled his glass, then Sam's.

"I will be with you shortly to take your orders, sir, ma'am," the man said, then left.

When Daniel looked at Sam, he found her staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. You just seem to be awfully familiar with what you're supposed to do in a place like this."

"Oh. Well, I may never have been to _this_ restaurant before, but I have been to places like this, though not often. When I was working on my anthropology Ph.D., I dated for a very short time a girl whose family had money. I took her to a place like this on our first date and made a huge dent in my bank account. I knew that our relationship was doomed when I realized that she expected me to take her to expensive restaurants on every date." Daniel grinned. "Since I am an anthropologist, I make an effort to learn the proper way to act in whatever culture or environment I find myself in, and that includes fancy restaurants."

Sam gave a little laugh at the comment. "Yes, you wouldn't want to offend the natives."

"Or the Maitre d'."

The couple looked over their menus. They had just decided what they wanted when the waiter returned. Their orders taken, he, again, left them to their privacy.

"So . . . anthropology. Was that number one, two or three?" Sam asked with a smile.

"Three. Philology was number one, the one I got at UCLA. Archeology came next."

Sam gazed at him curiously. "Okay, explain to me the difference between philology and linguistics."

"Well, putting it simply, linguistics is the study of language and its structure. Philology is the study of the structure, historical development and relationships of languages. There's a lot more to it than that, but that will give you the general idea. In my studies, I focused on the decipherment of ancient writing systems and on comparative philology, which deals with the relationship between different languages."

"So, every time someone calls you a linguist, they should actually be calling you a, what, philologist?"

Daniel smiled. "Try saying philologist too many times, and you'll get tongue-tied. Linguist is a lot easier to say and for people to understand. Besides, philology is a form of linguistics, so it's not actually wrong to call me a linguist."

"As much as you love archeology, I'm surprised that you didn't get that doctorate first. Of course, I know that you love the study of languages, too."

"I was living in L.A. at the time I left high school. I knew that I wanted to pursue a doctorate in philology, and UCLA has an excellent linguistics program. In fact, its doctoral program has been consistently ranked as one of the top two or three in the country."

"So, since you were already living in L.A., it made sense to go to UCLA first."

Daniel nodded. "UCLA also has an excellent anthropology department, and their Institute of Archaeology is very good, too, but I knew that, for advanced archeological and anthropological studies, one of the best places to go in the U.S. is the University of Chicago, especially because of the Oriental Institute. You have no idea how happy I was when I applied for a scholarship there and managed to get one. I was afraid I wouldn't have a chance."

Sam almost smiled. She never stopped being amazed by how modest Daniel was about his brilliant mind. "You had a scholarship at UCLA, too, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah, but I always thanked Mister Foster for that one. He was my high school principal, and he pushed to get me that scholarship. He was, um, kind of impressed by how many languages I knew at the time."

"Oh? And how many was that?"

"Uh, at graduation, it was sixteen spoken languages. I could also read hieroglyphics, Akkadian and Sumerian cuneiform, and a few other dead languages."

Sam's eyes widened slightly. "At fifteen years old? Wow. That's amazing."

Daniel shyly ducked his head, something that Sam had always thought was adorable. She had to wonder if his reaction to praise was because he got so little of it growing up.

"Hey, how come we're talking all about me?" the archeologist asked.

"Because I realized that, even though we've known each other for all these years, there are still a lot of details about your life before we met that I don't know."

"I could say the same about you, Sam. So, I vote that we change the subject to your life."

Sam shook her head. "I'm boring, well, at least until I got in the service, then things got more exciting."

Daniel gazed at her with an earnest expression. "Sam, your life could never be boring to me."

It was Sam's turn to duck her head shyly. "Thank you. I'm glad you feel that way."

Daniel grinned. "So, come on. Give! I'm all ears."

The rest of their evening at the restaurant was spent with the couple sharing things about their lives that they'd never talked about with each other before. Sam especially loved the tales Daniel told about his years on archeological digs with his parents. It made her wonder how different he would be if his mother and father hadn't died when he was so young.

As the evening went by, Sam realized that she should never have been nervous about this date. She and Daniel were such close friends and were so compatible that there could never be a question of a date with him being good. Neither one of them had any expectations that the other couldn't fulfill. Yes, there was still the question of what would happen after the date, but whatever it was, Sam knew that she was ready for it.

Before the couple realized it, three hours had passed. Deciding that they should probably leave, Daniel paid the check and headed out to the car with Sam.

"Thank you, Daniel. This was really nice," she said, looking at him as they walked, her arm linked with his. "I can't remember ever having a nicer date."

Very pleased, Daniel smiled at her. "Thank you, Sam, but the date's not over yet."

"It isn't?"

Daniel's smile turned a bit mysterious as they reached the car. "Nope." He opened the passenger side door for her, not saying anything more.

As they drove, Sam didn't bother asking Daniel where they were going next since she suspected that he wouldn't tell her. She was once again surprised when they arrived at one of the classiest night clubs in town.

Sam looked at her date. "A night club? Since when are you familiar with night clubs?"

"I'm not. I had to do some asking around to find out which ones I'd be interested in, the ones that aren't full of twenty-somethings dancing to loud rock music."

Rather than rock music, the song being played by the night club's band was a lovely ballad, perfect for slow dancing. Daniel and Sam managed to find a table near the dance floor. Sam ordered a drink, but the archeologist just got a club soda, deciding that, because he was driving and because of his need for caution with alcoholic beverages, the wine he'd had with dinner should be it for the night.

They'd been sitting, enjoying the music for only a few minutes when Daniel rose to his feet. He held out his hand to Sam.

"Dance?" he asked, his voice soft and low.

Sam felt a little thrill pass through her as she took Daniel's hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. The moment he took her into his arms, she knew that there was going to be no personal space between them tonight. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms snugly around her waist. Loving the feel of his body pressed against hers, Sam wrapped her arms around his neck.

Shortly after they began to dance, the band ended the song they had been playing and started another one. The female lead singer stepped up to the microphone and began singing Celine Dion's "Have You Ever Been in Love".

As the song played, asking the listener if they'd ever been in love so deeply that they felt as if they were holding heaven in their arms, as if they were walking on air and felt like they were dreaming, Daniel couldn't help but think that, at that moment, with Sam there in his arms, that was exactly how he felt. As the song said, all his hope had been restored, and he wasn't looking anymore. He'd found all that he needed right here with Sam. Though, physically, he'd already reached the stars many times, for the first time since Sha're was taken, Daniel felt as if his spirit could reach the stars, too.

As the song ended, asking once more if the listener had ever been so in love, Daniel leaned forward and whispered into Sam's ear, "I have."

Sam lifted her head and gazed into Daniel's eyes, seeing the meaning of his words reflected in the blue depths. He gave her a smile filled with warmth and love, then pressed a long, lingering kiss on her brow.

Feeling happier in that moment than she ever had in her life, Sam gave a contented sigh and rested her head on Daniel's shoulder as they continued to dance.

By the time they left the night club, it was nearly midnight, yet neither one of them was the least bit tired. The drive back to Sam's house was made in companionable silence.

Daniel walked Sam up to her door.

"I can't tell you how much I enjoyed tonight, Sam," he said, gazing at her openly. "It was fantastic."

Sam smiled. "Yes, it was." She drew in a deep breath. "Would you . . . like to come in?"

Daniel reached up and caressed her cheek. "I want to say yes so badly, Sam. You have no idea how much. But I'm going to say no."

Sam blinked in surprise. "Why?"

"Because I love you, so much that there are no words. When we make love, it'll be forever for me, no going back to the way it was before, not ever. I want . . . everything from you, Sam, no doubts, no fears, no hesitation. I don't know if it's my abilities or just normal instincts, but I feel like you're afraid of something, holding back, and, until I don't sense that anymore, I have to say no."

Daniel placed a soft kiss on Sam's lips, then strode away down the walkway. As he stepped around to the driver's side of the car, he paused and looked at her for a very long moment, then he smiled softly, got in the car, and drove away.

Sam stayed where she was for another full minute before finally going inside. As she locked the door, she realized that Daniel was right. He'd told her more than once tonight that he loved her, yet she hadn't said the words back to him. She was still afraid, terrified that, if she told him, something awful would happen.

Sam remembered what the hallucination of her father said. _"I know you have denied yourself the experience because you think that it must inevitably end in pain and loneliness. It's time to let go of the things that prevent you from finding happiness. You deserve to love someone and be loved in return." _

Sam closed her eyes. It was time that she let go of this fear and let herself love Daniel all the way. She looked at her watch, calculating how long it would take Daniel to get home at this time of night. After waiting a few minutes, she dialed his number.

"Sam?" Daniel said questioningly upon answering the phone.

The major smiled at the fact that he'd known it was her. "Psychic powers, Daniel?"

"Caller ID. I got tired of all the telemarketers. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just . . . I didn't thank you for such a wonderful date."

"Yes, you did, earlier, when the date wasn't over yet," he responded teasingly.

"Ah, yes, that's right. Well, thank you again."

"You're welcome, and thank _you_ for the wonderful date, too."

There was a moment of silence.

"Um, I'd really like to go on another one," Sam said.

"Me too," Daniel murmured.

"When?"

"Tomorrow?"

"That sounds good. Not the same place, though. I don't want you to break your bank account."

Daniel chuckled. "I'm not a starving college student anymore, Sam. My bank account can survive places like that now, maybe not every day, but definitely more than once."

"Even so, once is enough for now."

"Okay. You can pick the restaurant this time."

"Well, since I'm picking the restaurant, I'll pick _you_ up this time."

"Um . . . okay. I guess that's only fair."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow night, then? Six o'clock?"

"Sure. I'll see you then, Sam. Good night."

"Good night."

Sam hung up the phone, smiling. Tonight had been wonderful, but tomorrow night . . . tomorrow night would be even better.


	14. Chapter 14

Again, I had to remove the lyrics of the song in this chapter. With this song, if you're not familiar with the lyrics, I would strongly recommend that you go find them since they are very important to what happens in that part of the chapter.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next day, Sam began making preparations for the date. She knew that Daniel wouldn't be expecting what she had planned, and she was more than a little nervous that everything was going to work out okay.

It was six o'clock on the dot when Sam pulled up in front of Daniel's house. The archeologist came out only a moment later. He walked up to the car dressed in black slacks, a light grey sports jacket, covered by his winter coat, and a beautiful dove grey shirt, open at the collar. Sam had told him to dress casually. He'd decided on something that could be called casual but also looked nice. He figured that he could dispense with the jacket if it was too dressy.

As Daniel got into the car, he saw that Sam was wearing a lovely dark green dress with a full, flowing skirt. He couldn't see what the rest of the dress looked like since it was hidden by her coat. She'd left her hair down, but had curled it more than usual, which made her look years younger--and made him want to run his fingers through the golden locks.

"So, where are we going?" he asked.

Sam grinned. "You'll have to wait and see."

Daniel also smiled. "Ah, I see. Turnabout is fair play, eh?"

"You bet. You wouldn't tell me last night where we were going, so I'm doing the same."

"Fair enough."

Daniel settled back for the drive, but began to frown when they soon entered a very familiar neighborhood.

"Um, this is the way to your house, isn't it?"

"Yep."

Daniel stared at her. "Did you forget something?"

"Nope."

The archeologist didn't say anything further as they pulled onto Sam's street and then parked in front of her house. The major got out of the car. When Daniel didn't do likewise, she stuck her head back in the car.

"So, you going to sit there all night?" she asked with a little smile.

Wondering what Sam had up her sleeve, Daniel got out and followed her to the house. He came to the conclusion that she had gotten it into her head to cook for him for their second date, something he had not expected. If he had known, he would have told her not to go to all that effort.

Daniel's thoughts did not prepare him for what he saw as they stepped inside. An eight-foot-square roll of fake grass had been laid out in the middle of Sam's living room. Sitting upon the grass was a red and white checkered 'picnic blanket', and on that blanket was a great big picnic basket. There was the sound of chirping birds and a breeze rustling through tree limbs, apparently courtesy of Sam's stereo and a nature sounds CD. The roses Daniel had given Sam were acting as a centerpiece.

His mouth hanging open, the linguist turned to his date. "Sam, what's this?"

"Why, it's a picnic, of course," she answered. "Don't you remember our conversation about picnics and their romantic value? It's too cold to have one outside, so I decided that we'd just have to have it inside."

Daniel turned back to the indoor picnic and stared at it for a few seconds longer, and then he laughed.

"There have been a few times in the past when you surprised me, Sam, but this takes the cake." He looked at her with a smile.

"Then you like it?" Sam asked just a little uncertainly.

"I love it. I think it's great. Come on. Let's go start the picnic. I'm starving."

The couple took off their coats, and Sam put them in the closest as Daniel sat on the blanket and peeked into the basket. There was fried chicken, macaroni and potato salad, some fruit, cans of soda and bottled tea. Also in the basket were paper plates, napkins and plastic forks and spoons.

The two began dishing out their food.

"There is one huge advantage to this picnic," Daniel commented.

"What's that?"

"No bugs."

"Well, there'd _better_ not be, otherwise, my first call tomorrow is to the exterminator."

Daniel took a bite of chicken. "Mmm. This is great breading. Where'd you get this?"

"Actually, I made it," Sam replied.

Daniel's eyebrows rose. "You did?"

Sam frowned at him. "Don't look so surprised. I can cook, you know. I finally decided one day that I was tired of frozen dinners and takeout. I'm not great, but I get by."

"No, it isn't that," the archeologist hastily told her. "It's just that I'm surprised you didn't save yourself the time and effort and go to KFC instead. That would have been fine with me, you know."

"Yes, I know, but I wanted to do the cooking. I think it makes it more special that way."

Daniel gave her a warm smile. "Yes, it does, and I'm really flattered that you'd go to all that effort. Thank you. My taste buds thank you, too. This is way better than KFC."

Sam gave him a pleased smile. "It's my mom's recipe. This is actually the first time I've used it."

"Well, you did great. What about the salads?"

"I made them, too, but they weren't recipes from Mom, just out of a cookbook."

Daniel tasted the potato and macaroni salads and liked both of them. "They're good. I like the cheese in the macaroni salad. That's different."

"Uh huh. I thought it sounded good when I read the recipe."

Daniel looked around at everything she had done. "Sam, you must have spent hours preparing all of this. I'm feeling really guilty now. All I did for our first date is make a dinner reservation."

"Hey. I _loved_ our first date," Sam told him with feeling. "It was the best date I've ever had." She looked intently into the eyes of the man sitting beside her. "I'm not exaggerating, Daniel. I really mean that. Not a single date I've ever been on before made me as happy as you did last night. It was wonderful."

Daniel ducked his head.

"Besides. Remember what I said before," Sam added. "I like both picnic dates _and_ romantic dinner dates, and yesterday's date was the most perfectly romantic date I could imagine. I'd have been delighted if it could have kept on going all night."

Daniel met her eyes. "Me too," he said softly.

Something in the quietly spoken words made a little tingle pass through Sam. She returned her attention to her food. She'd been eating for a few minutes when she realized that Daniel was watching her. She met his eyes.

"You really are beautiful, Sam," he told her. "I like the dress. It's a great color on you."

Sam looked down at herself. "Thank you. It is pretty, isn't it. Not really what you'd wear to a picnic, but I fell in love with it when I saw it. While we're on the subject, I really like that shirt you're wearing. It looks like silk."

"Not hardly. I'm not that much of a clothes horse, not even close. The wonders of cotton and polyester blends is usually more my speed."

"Uh huh, and what about that gorgeous suit you wore last night?"

"Well . . . that's a little different. I figured that I'd have to have a really nice suit to even come close to looking good enough to be seen with a knockout like you."

Sam could tell that he'd been completely serious about what he just said, and she was both extremely pleased by the compliment and unhappy about what it said regarding his self-image. She stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "Boy, you really are blind, aren't you."

Daniel frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You didn't see all the women who were giving you the eye at the restaurant last night?"

"What? No, you've got to be mistaken. All I saw were all those men who were staring at you."

"Oh, trust me, Daniel, I'm _not_ mistaken. I'm also not mistaken that more than one woman at Saturday's party would have jumped at the chance to give you more than a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Tell me, Daniel. Do you ever actually look at yourself in the mirror?"

"Yes, of course I do, but I honestly don't see anything all that special. Yes, I'm in a lot better shape now than I was a few years ago, but, compared to Teal'c . . . well, it would be hard for any man short of a bodybuilder to compare to Teal'c."

"Well, I happen to think that you compare to Teal'c just fine. Personally, I was never all that turned on by an excess of muscles. I once dated a guy who was into bodybuilding, and, whenever he held me, it was like I was snuggling up to a rock. There was nothing soft or comfortable about him, just a bunch of perfectly sculpted muscles. He also had an ego to match the size of those muscles. To be honest, I prefer a guy whose physique looks more natural, like he got his muscles the old-fashioned way, with regular exercise and good hard work, not by spending hours a day pumping iron in a gym."

"Um . . . I do do some of that, too, you know."

Sam smiled. "After all the times we've worked out together at the SGC gym, I definitely do know that. But you don't take it to extremes. That's the point I'm making."

"And Teal'c?"

"Teal'c's an exception. For one thing, unlike with some men, being that muscular really suits him. It looks natural. He also doesn't have all those muscles just to look good. He probably never even thinks about how his physique would be very attractive to a lot of women." She studied Daniel. "And, obviously, neither do you about yours."

Daniel's gaze dropped to his plate of food, which now sat on the blanket. "I didn't start hitting the weights to attract women."

"I know, Daniel. Why _did_ you?"

"After Sha're died, I was . . . really angry. Exercising helped vent the anger and kept my mind off how much I was hurting. My attitude about a lot of things changed after she died. Before, my main reason for going through the gate was to find and free her. Afterwards, it was to find her son and stop the Goa'uld, the race responsible for what happened to her. After I found Shifu, what was left was my desire to put an end to the reign of the Goa'uld. The weightlifting, training more with Jack and Teal'c, becoming proficient at firing a P-90, it was all a way to sublimate my pain and anger and to increase my ability to fight the Goa'uld."

Sam thought about that, understanding why Daniel had reacted in that way. "But you didn't really start hitting the weights in a serious way until after you descended."

"Yeah. During those two months that I had no memories, I felt really helpless. I didn't know who I was or anything about my life, and everything I tried wasn't working to bring my memories back. I spent those two months doing a lot of manual labor. It helped keep my mind off things and made me feel less helpless."

"But what about after you started remembering?" Sam recalled something. "When you began having the memory flashes about Bra'tac and Ry'ac, you told me that you had been wondering if you could do more good if you were still ascended. Does that have something to do with it?"

Daniel gave a little sigh. "Yes, I guess it does. I had a lot of doubts about whether or not I could really make a difference as just an ordinary human being. I know it probably sounds silly, but building up my body, making myself physically stronger, made me feel stronger and more confident in other ways, too. After I remembered what happened on Erebus and realized that I could accomplish more as a human than I was ever allowed to as one of the Ascended, I decided to keep going with the exercising since I physically felt better, and there are advantages to being stronger, especially on missions."

"I can understand how you felt that way. A lot of people, both men and women, take martial arts classes to feel stronger and more self-confident."

Daniel and Sam resumed eating, turning the conversation to other things. Once the meal was finished, the major fetched something out of the kitchen cabinet. She handed the sack to Daniel.

"What's this?"

"Dessert."

Daniel opened the bag and grinned. "Chocolate walnut cookies."

"Uh huh. And, before you ask, no, I didn't bake them. I'm not that great a baker, and I wanted to make sure they were good. They're from your favorite bakery."

The next few minutes were spent consuming cookies with tall glasses of milk. After they were done, Daniel helped Sam clean up and put everything away.

"So, what do you have in store for me next?" Daniel asked. "I'd suggest a walk in the park, but we'd freezing out there, and it could get rather boring just strolling around your living room."

In reply, Sam went to her stereo and put on some other CD's. A slow love song began to play. She came back to Daniel.

"Care to dance?" she asked, smiling.

"Love to," Daniel replied as he took her into his arms.

For the next half-hour, Daniel and Sam danced at the center of Sam's living room in time to the music. The archeologist sang along with a couple of the songs, telling Sam with a cute smile that he was serenading her. Daniel had a very nice singing voice, and Sam loved the idea that he was singing for her. They even got together for a duet on one of the songs.

"This is a nice CD," Daniel commented.

"I just got it. It has a nice mix of songs, though I didn't realize when I got it that it has some sad ones, too. I only glanced at the titles since I was in kind of a hurry. I was aiming for romantic."

"Ah, but there is something kind of romantic about a doomed love affair. Look at Romeo and Juliet."

"I'd rather not. You and I have already died too many times to be thinking about lovers who committed suicide."

Daniel gave a chuckle, and Sam looked up at him.

"What?" she inquired, curious about Daniel's reaction.

"Oh, I was just thinking about the reaction that last statement would incur if we were on a dance floor right now, and someone overheard us."

Sam laughed. "Yes, it would earn us some looks, wouldn't it. You, the colonel, Teal'c and I could all have places in the record books on number of deaths. No, I take that back. Teal'c's only died twice, hardly worth mentioning."

That comment made Daniel laugh, too. "You know, it's really scary that you can say something like that, that having died _only_ twice makes it no big deal."

"Yes, it is scary, isn't it."

They fell silent and continued dancing, Sam's head lying upon Daniel's shoulder as he rested his on her hair.

Just then, Evanescence's "My Immortal" began to play, a song Sam knew very well. A wave of sadness washed through her as she listened to the anguished words of a woman haunted by the memories of someone who was now gone. The song was almost over when Daniel realized that Sam was silently crying, her face pressed into his shoulder. Instantly concerned, he looked at her.

"Sam? What's wrong?"

She shook her head, wiping away her tears.

Knowing that something had really upset her, Daniel led her to the couch.

"Okay, tell me what's wrong," he insisted.

Sam sniffled a couple of times, wiping her face with a tissue. "It's nothing, really. I'm just being silly. It's just . . . that song. Not long after you ascended, I heard that song on the radio, and it just . . . God, it made me think so much about you and how much I missed you. I tried to tell myself that you were gone and that I needed to get on with my life, but, everywhere I looked, I saw your face and heard your voice, and . . . and I just couldn't. . . ." Her voice choked off.

Daniel pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Sam. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know." She lifted her head and looked at him earnestly. "You need to know that I don't wish that you didn't ascend. I know that, if you'd stayed, if you'd let Dad heal you, you would never have been completely healthy. I wouldn't have wanted you to be doomed to that kind of life. I just wanted you back so much."

Daniel held Sam for a long, silent moment. Finally, she pulled back and wiped her face.

"I'm sorry I ruined the evening, blubbering like that."

Daniel lifted her chin so that she'd look at him in the eyes. "You didn't ruin the evening, Sam. I had a great time. And I'm glad that we talked about this. I know that you guys missed me while I was gone, and I know that I must have missed you. . . ." Daniel's voice trailed off, his gaze falling away from her face.

"Daniel? What is it?"

For several seconds, the archeologist didn't reply, and Sam was starting to get worried. She was about to speak again when Daniel let out a little gasp.

"Oh, God," he whispered.

"What? What's wrong?" Sam asked anxiously.

Daniel abruptly got to his feet. He strode away a few paces. "I remember Nirrti, Sam," he said in a tight voice.

"What? What do you mean?"

Daniel turned back to her. "I was there! When Nirrti had you guys prisoner, t-the experiments!"

Sam's face paled. "You were there?"

Daniel spun away. "Dammit! She wouldn't let me help you! I wanted to-to-to heal you, to do _something_, even if it was just to make the pain go away, but Oma said no. She said I couldn't interfere. She wouldn't even let me talk to you. God, I was so _angry_. I wasn't trying to change something on a galactic scale! All I wanted to do was help you."

Daniel's last words were spoken in a pain-filled whisper. Sam immediately got to her feet and went to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It doesn't matter now, Daniel. All that matters is that you were there with me, with _us_, and that you wanted to help."

"I felt so useless, Sam. All that power, and I was useless."

"Which wasn't your fault. There is nothing but the stupid rules of the Ascended to blame for that. I know that, if it had been up to you, you'd have kicked the Goa'uld right out of the galaxy, their tails tucked between their legs."

Daniel let out a little laugh. He hugged Sam to him. "Thanks."

"There's nothing to thank me for."

Deciding that they'd had enough of dancing, Sam turned off the stereo. "Would you like some coffee?" she asked.

"Yes. Thanks."

Sam fixed the coffee as Daniel leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at the floor with a slight frown on his face.

"Want to talk about it?" Sam asked.

"What? Oh. No, this isn't proper date talk."

"Ah." Sam didn't say anything more for a few seconds. "This is the second memory you've gotten back of that year in just the past few months."

"I know. I think that remembering about Jack and Baal was because of being in that place, which was so much like the cell he was in. But this time. . . . Ever since I came out of the stasis, I've been getting little . . . flashes."

"Flashes?"

"At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing, but I'm pretty sure now that I'm starting to get back my memories of that year I was ascended. I've been seeing quick flashes of images, stuff I didn't recognize, places and people I have no memory of seeing during my life before or after my ascension."

"Do you think it has something to do with the download?"

"It's possible. Maybe it jogged something loose, knocked through whatever wall Oma put around those memories. I mean, we knew that at least some of the memories had to be in there. If they weren't, I'd never have been able to remember about Erebus. But I'd given up on ever getting any more of them back." Daniel gazed off into the living room. "I don't think I want to remember them now."

Sam turned to him fully. "Why not?"

"Because every real memory that I've gotten back so far was one in which I failed one of you somehow. I'm afraid of what else my memories will show, what other people I let suffer and die as I just stood and watched. And I don't . . . I don't want to remember about Abydos, about how I failed them, too."

Sam stepped up to him and took his hands. "Daniel, look at me." The archeologist's eyes met hers. "It was not your fault," she said very slowly and firmly, "none of it. What did I say before? It's the rules of the Ascended that are to blame. If it hadn't been for them, you'd have broken the colonel out of that place. If it hadn't been for them, you'd have healed me, taken care of Nirrti, and gotten us all out of there. And, if it hadn't been for Oma or whomever it was that stopped you, you would have dealt with Anubis, and that weapon would never have been fired. Abydos would still be there. The other Ascended are to blame, not you. If you'd been allowed to, you would have used your power to save lives, to help people, just like you're doing now with the abilities you've gained. I am so proud of you, Daniel, of what you're doing. I know that Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are, too."

Sam pulled Daniel into a tight hug, which he returned.

"So, I don't want to hear you saying anything more about failing us," Sam told him sternly. "You have _never_ failed us."

"I wouldn't say that. There was the sarcopha--"

"Ah!" Sam interrupted as she pulled back, sounding very much like Jack. "The sarcophagus incident wasn't your fault either. Besides, even though you were addicted to that thing and your mind was all messed up, you still managed to get us free. You didn't forget about us and leave us in that mine to die. You came through for us in the end. I doubt that many others in that situation would have done the same."

Sam turned away and poured each of them a cup off coffee, which told Daniel that she wasn't going to listen to him talk like that anymore. He smiled secretly, grateful for her unfailing faith, trust and support.

They took their coffee into the living room and settled back on the couch. They drank in silence for a while. At last, Sam set her cup down, knowing it was time to tell Daniel what she needed to say.

"Daniel, there's something I have to tell you," she said. The archeologist's eyes immediately went to hers.

She drew in a deep breath. "It's about what you said to me last night. You were right. I have been afraid."

Daniel put down his cup. "Of what?"

"Of . . . loving someone. Do you remember what I told you before, about how I hadn't wanted to get involved with someone because I was afraid that I would lose them and be left alone?"

Daniel nodded. "I remember."

Sam let out a sigh. "Even though I know it's ridiculous and stupid, I just couldn't help it." She met Daniel's eyes. "Deep inside, I still feel that way. When I thought you had died, I believed that my black widow's curse had struck again."

"Sam, you can't think that way," Daniel told her. "You're not cursed," his gaze drifted off, "although I can understand how you felt. For a very long time, I felt as if I was cursed to never have anyone in my life for very long. After I lost my parents, my childhood was spent going from foster home to foster home, never having the chance to get really close to anyone. By the time I entered college, I'd gotten used to not having any close relationship, so I didn't encourage any. It wasn't until I became one of Doctor Jordan's assistants that I formed any close friendships. I lost all that when I chose to go public with my theories. And then Catherine hired me, and I went to Abydos. For a fantastic year, I had a wife who loved me and thousands of people that I could call friends and family. Then I lost all that, too." He returned his gaze to Sam. "With the exception of Nick, which was never a very close relationship, the friendship with you, Jack and Teal'c is the longest and closest relationship I've had since the day I was orphaned."

Though Sam knew that Daniel hadn't intended to make her sad, that's what his words did. Even before she met her teammates, she had been blessed with several long-lasting friendships, some of which still existed, though they were not as close now as they were before she joined the Stargate Program. And, although, for many years, she had not been close to her father, he had still been there. There had been her brother, too, even though they were estranged for a very long time. It made her realize that, compared to Daniel, she had been lucky.

Unaware of Sam's thoughts, Daniel continued. "Sometimes, things just happen, and, no matter how bad they are, it isn't because of a curse, or bad luck, or God, or even fate. That's just the way it is. There have been times when I've had a hard time seeing that, when it seemed like I'd been designated as the universe's whipping boy, but it's true all the same."

Daniel's eyes looked into Sam's intently. "Narim's, Martouf's, and Jonas Hanson's deaths had nothing to do with your feelings for them."

Sam sighed. "I know, Daniel. That's what my mind keeps telling me, but it hasn't stopped me from being afraid. For all these months, I've been afraid. I didn't want to have those kinds of feelings for you because this voice deep down inside kept telling me that, if I did, I'd lose you." She shook her head. "But I can't deny it anymore. I can't run away any longer, and . . . and I don't want to." She took his hand. "I want this. I want us to be more than friends." Her eyes looked deeply into his. "I love you, Daniel. I have for a long, long time."


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Daniel gave a little hitching breath as he finally heard the words he'd been longing for so deeply. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear you say those words," he said in a quiet, emotion-filled voice. A small but happy smile touched his lips as the tiniest hint of tears brightened his eyes.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it," Sam said, suddenly afraid in a different way.

Daniel shook his head. "No. We'll still be the same, Sam. That's not going to change."

Sam removed her shoes and curled her legs up onto the couch. Sensing that she needed to be held, Daniel removed his shoes as well, laid his sports jacket over the back of the couch, and put his feet up on the cushions. He gently gathered her to him, and she went willingly, laying her head on his chest.

"I'm . . . I'm kind of scared," Sam admitted in a small voice after a moment. "Isn't that silly? I've faced charging Jaffa, murderous Goa'uld, and all kinds of other dangers and kept my cool through it all, yet this scares me. It's just that. . . ." She stopped, not knowing how to explain.

"I know. After all these years of just being friends, the idea of taking this step, how it's going to affect our relationship, is pretty scary, now that we're actually thinking about it and all the ramifications. But I have thought about this before, Sam. I've had quite a while to think about how it would affect us and our lives, and I know that, no matter what changes or adjustments we have to make, we're going to be okay, _better_ than okay. I have no doubt of that."

Sam nodded, not answering aloud. She knew that she and Daniel could have a happy life together. There was an old adage that friends make the best lovers, and, while not everyone who started out as friends could successfully become lovers, Sam knew that she and Daniel could. Even so, there was one last thing that filled her with uncertainty.

Daniel stared down at her searchingly. "There's something else, isn't there."

Sam's eyes dropped away from his. "I've never been in love before," she whispered. "I thought I had been. I really did. I was engaged to be married, for Pete's sake. But I never loved Jonas, not really. I loved an illusion. And then there was Jack. For so long, I thought about being with him. I didn't know for sure if it was really love, but I thought it might have been. But I was wrong. What I felt for him wasn't love, not the lasting kind. It was an infatuation, one that took a very long time to go away. I was never in love with any man that I've been with or thought about being with," she met Daniel's eyes, "until you." She shook her head with a look of disgust. "And I couldn't even see it. You were right in front of me this whole time, and I couldn't see you. And, now, I'm afraid that. . . ."

"That what, Sam?" Daniel asked gently.

"You've known love, Daniel. You've known what that feels like. You've had that joy. You and Sha're had something very special, and . . ." Sam ducked her head, "I'm afraid that I won't measure up to her."

Stunned by her words, Daniel said nothing for several seconds. Then he turned her around so that he could grasp her shoulders. "Sam, look at me."

The major lifted her head and hesitantly met his eyes.

"How could you ever think that?" he asked. "Yes, I did love Sha're, very, very much. For a long time, I thought that she was my soul mate, the only woman I would ever truly love. But you know what I figured out when I realized that I was in love with you? People don't have to be limited to one soul mate, and there are all kinds of soul mates. You have been one to me almost since the day we met, in ways that Sha're could never be, not just a soul _mate_, but a _kindred_ soul." Daniel cupped her face in his hands. "Don't ever be afraid that you won't measure up to Sha're, Sam. You are the most important thing in my life, and I love you so much."

With those words, Daniel bent his head and gently took her lips with his. His arms wrapped around her and drew her in. With a sigh, Sam twined her arms about his neck and gave herself over to the feeling, all her doubts and fears melting away.

With all his love, Daniel kissed her, wanting her to see how much he wanted and needed her, and how big a part of his heart she was. He wished that he could do it with more than a kiss, that he could truly show her his heart.

It was then that a memory came to Daniel. With that memory, came the ability to do as he desired. Drawing his lips from Sam's, he stared deeply into her eyes for a long, breathless moment.

"See me, Sam. See how much you mean to me," he whispered, and then he closed his eyes . . . and gave himself to her.

Sam gasped, her eyes closing at the feeling, a feeling she had known once before, when Orlin psychically shared himself with her. Yet what she was feeling now made that experience pale in comparison. In wonder, she saw the man before her in his entirely, the beautiful, strong, yet tortured soul that was Daniel Jackson. All his doubts and fears, strengths and weaknesses, loves and hates were laid open and bare for her to see. In a brief moment in time, she knew him as well as he knew himself, perhaps even better, for Daniel truly could not see the beauty that was within him and the things that made him so very special. Above all, Sam felt right down to the depths of her soul the unconditional love that Daniel had for her. It surrounded her with its warmth and nearly made her cry.

As Sam felt all these things, Daniel was lost in a discovery of his own, for, in choosing to share himself with her, he found that the link was working both ways, the psyche of Samantha Carter opening to him. He saw a person of many layers, the soldier and the scientist, the woman and the inner child who loved to ride with the wind in her face. The light and darkness of Sam's soul was his to see, her inmost heart, and, to his eyes, it was beautiful beyond words.

Opening their eyes, Sam and Daniel gazed at each other, the link remaining. Not questioning what was happening, they began to touch each other, and the bond between them expanded, their bodies psychically joining just as their hearts and souls had. Daniel caressed Sam's cheek, feeling the touch as if it was his own face. In amazement, he ran his fingers over the plains and hollows, creating a mental map of her features.

The incredible sensation of experiencing Daniel's touch from both of their perspectives sent Sam on a journey of exploration of her own. She caressed his face, his neck, the strength of his arms. Running her fingers all the way down his arms, she reached his hands, which lifted from her face and clasped hers.

Twin pairs of blue eyes grabbed hold of each other, and there was no need for words. Silently, Daniel stood and, hand in hand, led her into the bedroom.

Beside the bed, Daniel turned to Sam, eyes searching hers with bright intensity. The back of his fingers stroked down her cheek, his thumb brushing across her lips. His eyes and the feelings coursing through their connection told her what he wanted to do. Without a word, she gave him permission.

Daniel reached around behind Sam and slowly lowered the zipper of her dress. The emerald green material slipped away to pool as Sam's feet. He filled himself with the sight of her, wanting her to feel his desire. And she did, the feeling washing through her in a heated wave that almost left her breathless. She began releasing the buttons of Daniel's shirt one by one, taking the time to brush her fingers over the skin being exposed to her. She sensed how her touch made him feel, and she knew that he was aware of how touching him like this was affecting her.

Daniel's shirt fell to the floor. The feeling of passion and excitement that was flashing back and forth between them intensified as Sam released Daniel's belt and unfastened his pants. The pants soon joined his shirt. He stepped out of them, bringing their bodies closer together.

With a growing sense of discovery, joy and wonder, Daniel and Sam explored each other's bodies, every caress, each brush of questing fingertips, every emotion shared as if they were no longer two people at all.

Daniel released the catch of Sam's bra, which descended, unnoticed, to the carpet. Her panties soon followed, then his boxers. They looked upon each other's naked forms, desire warring with the sheer pleasure of the sight. There was no thought of embarrassment or shyness, for they had already seen into each other's soul. The revelation of their physical bodies could not compare to that ultimate baring of self.

Gently, Daniel cupped the underside of Sam's breasts, their soft weight warm in his hands. His thumbs brushed over them. The feeling of that touch washed through both of them intoxicatingly. Sam's gasp was echoed by Daniel, who was awed by the experience of sharing Sam's pleasure.

But what affected him the most was the love for him that he could feel inside Sam, a love that saw him as someone more beautiful than he could ever hope to be. He wanted to be that person for her and to give her everything that he was.

His heart filled to overflowing, Daniel sank to his knees before Sam and laid his head upon her breast, his arms encircling her. Sam held him to her, her eyes closing with the overwhelming emotions that were suffusing both of them.

After a long moment, Daniel lifted his face to Sam. She smiled down at him and touched his cheek, understanding all that he was feeling, for she felt the same. He stood and drew her to the bed. He sat upon it, lower legs folded underneath him, and pulled her to sit upon his thighs. Their lips met in the first kiss they'd shared since their psychic joining. The sensation was beyond description. They became utterly lost in it, their bond heightening the pleasure a hundredfold.

Slowly, deeply, searchingly, the kiss went on until Daniel's lips left Sam's on a journey down her neck. Her head tilted up, exposing the smooth white column to him. Down Daniel continued to the soft fullness of Sam's breasts. Sam let out a gasping cry and held Daniel's head to her breast, head thrown back in abandon.

Of their own accord, Sam began rocking against Daniel, causing his desire for her to rise. He pulled her up onto her knees and bathed her stomach and lower belly with his tongue. Daniel felt drunk, intoxicated by their shared feelings. He wanted more, wanted to give more.

With hands and mouths, the lovers took each other on a rapturous journey upward, their link guiding them to each place, every inch of skin and curve of body that brought the most pleasure. Long minutes passed in the joyful exploration, until, at last, Daniel lay Sam down on the bed, settling himself upon her. Their mouths found each other as their hands continued exploring. Sam was flying high on the sensations that were filling every inch of her body, wanting desperately to be joined with him in every way.

Sensing her need, Daniel lifted his head and met her gaze. He took hold of her hands and lay them upon the pillow on either side of her head, entwining his finger with hers tightly. Caught captive within the fathomless blue depths of his eyes, Sam felt something, as if he was forging their connection even stronger.

_'I love you, Sam,'_ whispered a voice in her mind. _'I will always love you, for as long as I live.' _

With those words, Daniel joined his body with hers . . . and reality vanished. They were no longer Daniel and Sam, but a single entity in two bodies, experiencing something beyond the realm of flesh and bone. A soundless cry seized their lungs, the rapture of what was happening flowing through their entire being in an overpowering wave that threatened to capsize them.

Daniel knew what was happening, what this feeling was. It was something that no mortal was ever meant to experience, an ultimate joining that only the Ascended were supposed to be capable of achieving. It was the most glorious thing he'd ever experienced, including being ascended, which he now remembered with complete clarity. He could sense, though, that Sam was being overwhelmed. He mentally took hold of her at the same time as his eyes found hers.

_'Sam,'_ he said in his mind.

_'God, Daniel. It's . . . it's. . . .'_ Sam responded, even her mental voice faltering.

_'I know. Hold onto me, Sam. Hold on and don't let go.' _

Heeding his silent command, Sam held on, both mentally and physically, as Daniel began moving. The sensation was beyond description, their link so complete that it was almost impossible to tell who was feeling what, their combined ecstasy magnifying exponentially with every passing second. Emotions merged and became one, the awe and joy so powerful that, soon, they were nearly crying.

The pleasure built inside them like the energy of a Naquadah generator on overload, the sensations each of them were experiencing feeding to the other through the link, then back again with ever-increasing power until, suddenly, it exploded with stunning force. Daniel and Sam cried out as they were hit simultaneously with their climaxes, each of them feeling the other's like it was their own. It overwhelmed them completely, igniting every cell, every nerve ending. They shuddered in its grip, thoughts vanishing, even the ability to breathe temporarily leaving them.

No sooner did the wave start to recede when it hit them again in a second climax as powerful as the first, and then again and again, a gasping breath all that separated each one. It seemed to go on without end, until, finally, their minds succumbed to darkness, and they lost consciousness.

* * *

The darkness lifted slowly from Daniel's mind. For a moment, he was confused, then what happened all came flooding back into his memory. His eyes blinked open and he lifted his head to look down at Sam. He was still lying upon her. The psychic link was gone . . . or was it? There was something still there, some indefinable feeling that Daniel couldn't quite name.

The archeologist touched his lover's cheek. "Sam?"

At the sound of her name, she arose to consciousness. She met Daniel's eyes, looking a little shell shocked. The archeologist guessed that he looked the same way. He sure felt like it.

"Daniel?" she whispered a bit unsteadily.

"Yeah. I feel the same way, Sam."

"My . . . God." And then she started to cry. Daniel pulled her tightly to him, letting his own tears wet the pillow.

"I know, Sam. I know," he murmured shakily.

"I don't . . . I don't cry after sex. I don't!" Sam said into his neck.

Daniel smiled tremulously and looked at her. "Neither do I, but that was. . . ."

"So much more," Sam finished.

Daniel lifted off Sam and lay on his side, pulling her back into his arms.

"What was that?" she asked. "Orlin did that 'sharing' thing with me, but it wasn't like that. That was . . . was. . . . I can't even describe it."

"'Wow' is the word that comes to _my_ mind."

"Good word. Sure glad that you're a linguist. How long was I out?"

"How long were _we_ out, you mean." Daniel looked at the clock. "I'm not sure. Just a few minutes, I think."

Sam pulled Daniel closer. "It was so amazing."

"Yeah." Daniel gazed into her eyes. "You are so beautiful, Sam. The things I saw in you, felt in you, they left me in awe of you."

"_I'm_ the one who's in awe, Daniel. I wish you could see yourself the way I saw you, the way I _see_ you."

The archeologist dropped his eyes from hers. He didn't think that he could ever be as beautiful as Sam perceived him to be.

"Daniel, this . . . this thing that happened, how was it possible?"

"I don't know. It was a . . . a memory from something I learned when I was ascended. I had never experienced it myself, but I knew how to do it. But it shouldn't have been possible for us, not with corporeal bodies."

"Yeah, well, for a while, I didn't feel all that corporeal."

"I know what you mean. I know that women can have multiple orgasms, but that's generally not something _men_ experience."

"It's never happened to me before, either. I, um . . . felt yours, too."

Daniel nodded. "I know, and I felt yours." He smiled. "I'd be willing to bet that you and I are the first human man and woman who know what sex really feels like to the opposite gender."

"Oh, trust me, Daniel. Sex isn't normally anywhere _near_ that good for a woman."

"I could say the same about men."

There was a short silence.

"Is it always going to be like this?" Sam asked.

"I don't know." Daniel smiled again. "If it is, we'd better get plenty of rest beforehand. Maybe we won't pass out, then."

Sam returned his smile and pulled Daniel into a long, slow kiss. "I love you," she murmured against his lips.

"I love you, too, Sam, more than I can ever say. I wanted you to feel that, to see that." He drew back and looked at her intently. "You did, didn't you? You do know how much I love you, right?"

Tears returned to Sam's eyes at the memory of feeling Daniel's love surround her. "Yes. I felt it, Daniel. I don't think that anyone has ever loved me like that before." She gazed at him intently. "Do you know how much I love you?"

Daniel nodded, a soft smile on his lips. They came together in another kiss.

Pulling the covers of the bed back, they crawled underneath them and snuggled together. Feeling whole, content, and happier than they ever had in their lives, the lovers slipped quietly into sleep.

* * *

The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when Sam awoke. She tilted her head up and looked into Daniel's sleeping face. As she gazed at him, she thought of their lovemaking.

_'I am, without a doubt, the luckiest woman in the galaxy,'_ she said silently. She felt so happy, so . . . complete. She had to wonder if this was the way that all women felt after having made love for the first time with the man they loved. She only knew for sure that it was something she had never experienced before.

Deciding that it was time for Daniel to wake up, Sam started running a fingertip along the edges of his lips, then across his chin, jaw and cheeks. Daniel awoke with a smile, crystalline blue eyes opening to gaze at her.

"Good morning," he said in a low, almost sultry voice. Sam recalled hearing that voice before, when she tried to awaken him for the trip to Taonas. Unlike that time, however, there was no embarrassment.

"Good morning," she greeted with a coquettish smile.

"Soooo . . . how are you feeling this morning?" Daniel asked, the tiny smile on his face and the look in his eyes telling Sam what he was really asking. A thrill of excitement tingled through her deliciously.

"Wonderful," she purred, rubbing herself up against his body in an unmistakable invitation.

Daniel gave a little groan and pulled her tightly into his arms. Seconds later, the lovers were searching each other's bodies almost frantically. Whereas their lovemaking last night had been an exquisitely long, slow thing, this morning, they were filled with an insatiable hunger for each other. In no time at all, they were fully aroused.

Sam pushed Daniel over onto his back and straddled him. They both let out a moan at the feeling of being joined again. Daniel sat up, and, with a quick slide, moved backwards to brace his back against the headboard. His eyes grabbed onto hers. In the next instant, they were psychically linked again, souls and bodies merged into one.

They made love with swiftly rising passion, ecstasy feeding upon ecstasy in a wildly building conflagration until it erupted through them in wave upon wave, twin cries rising out of them. As before, they were hit with multiple climaxes, but, somehow, Daniel managed to stay in control and keep it from overwhelming them. Even so, when it finally ended, they were both shaking from reaction. Sam collapsed against Daniel's chest.

"We'll be lucky if we don't die of heart failure one of these times," she gasped out after a minute or so.

"If we do, I'll make sure we both ascend," Daniel told her, breathing heavily. "Then we won't have to worry about killing each other with mind-blowing sex."

Sam snorted out a giggle.

Daniel scooted down onto his back. Sam remained draped over him, which was a very nice feeling. It had been so long since he made love he had feared that he wouldn't be able to please Sam. Of course, he hadn't known that he was going to be able to tap into yet another ability left over from his time as one of the Ascended.

That thought made him think about what else he'd remembered. It was all there, everything, the entire year he'd spent in that other plane of existence. Some of the memories were good ones. There were so many amazing things that he'd learned and seen. But other memories were not so good. After the incident with Jack, he had become gradually more disillusioned with his ascension, the rules of the Others feeling like a yoke around his neck. He'd tried to accept it, to "go with the flow", but it had been so hard. And then he'd found out that Anubis was going after the Eye of Ra on Abydos. Even then, he'd tried not to break the rules, to just bend them a little, but it just wasn't working, and he'd. . . . Oh, God.

Sam immediately felt it when Daniel stiffened. She lifted her head and looked at him. He was staring up at the ceiling, an expression of grief on his face. Sam slid off him and pulled herself up level with him.

"Daniel, what's wrong?"

"I remember Abydos, Sam," he answered. "I remember everything, that whole year. I _did_ try to stop Anubis. I actually attacked him. But Oma stopped me. She pulled me away. I didn't actually see Abydos destroyed, but I felt it. I felt it when they all died and when Oma ascended them." Daniel met Sam's eyes. "She did it for me. She ascended them for me because she knew that, if they had all really died, it would have killed me inside. And I think that she felt as if she owed them that. They were killed because she stopped me. She didn't _want_ to stop me, but she had no choice. If she hadn't stepped in, the others would have, and, if they'd done it . . . well, I don't think I'd be here right now."

Sam stared at him in horror. "You mean they'd have killed you?"

"No, I don't think so. But, when they wiped my memory, it would have been permanent. I'd never have gotten it back. Teal'c was right. Oma cheated. I should never have remembered who I was. And, though I can't be certain, I have a strong suspicion that she somehow made sure that you guys found me."

Sam nodded. "That's very possible. Jonas' brainstorm about the Lost City came to him pretty suddenly."

"A brainstorm that turned out to be wrong. If he hadn't mistranslated 'lacun', you wouldn't have gone to Vis Uban, not until it finally came up on the schedule years from now."

"And you'd have been there for all those years, not knowing who you were."

Not wanting to dwell on that unpleasant thought, Daniel and Sam put it out of their minds. With a little glint in his eyes, Daniel suggested that a shower would feel pretty good. Sam countered by asking if he thought they could survive it if they showered together.

As it turned out, they did make it out of the shower alive, possibly because they limited themselves to a very thorough examination of each other's bodies. Sam hid a smirk when she thought about the fact that Janet hadn't been kidding when she made the comment about guys who didn't brag. Daniel definitely had a lot to brag about in that department.

Afterwards, they ate breakfast, then decided to go out. They spent a good part of the day enjoying one of Colorado Springs' proudly advertised two hundred fifty plus days of sun. Of course, the advertisements never mentioned that some of those sunny days could be downright freezing. Fortunately, today was not one of those days. It was around forty-five degrees, warm enough with the sunshine that the couple spent a lot of the time outdoors.

It was going on three by the time they got back to Sam's house.

"I need to go over to my place," Daniel said.

Sam hid her disappointment. She'd been hoping that the two of them could spend their entire leave together.

Even though she'd hid it well, Daniel still knew what she was thinking. He smiled and gathered her into his arms. "I need to get enough clothes to last the rest of our leave."

A grin brightened Sam's face. Then she thought of something. "I have a better idea. Why don't _I_ pack a bag, and we can spend the rest of our leave at _your_ place? I think it's about time that we made use of that queen-size bed in the way I _know_ you were thinking about when you bought it."

Daniel had the good grace to blush. "You found me out."

Sam leaned into him and whispered in his ear. "I'll tell you a secret. I thought about that, too, when you bought it."

Daniel grinned broadly. "You naughty girl, you."

"Ooh, you haven't even _begun_ to see how naughty I can be," she purred silkily, which succeeded in making Daniel wonder if his thirty-eight-year-old body would object too much if he stripped Sam naked and took her right there on the living room floor. He decided that his bed would be much better.

Sam packed a bag, and the two of them drove over to Daniel's house in his car, the roses accompanying them since Sam had no intention of leaving them at home. Their plans for the bed, however, got put on hold due to the fact that, while he was in the kitchen making coffee, Sam came up behind him, slipped her hands beneath his shirt, and began running her fingers over his chest.

Daniel managed to last about half a minute before he turned around in her arms and crushed his lips to hers. Around twenty seconds after that, Sam found herself sitting up on the counter, her bra unsnapped, and his hands under her top, doing things to her breasts that made her very grateful for all his experience handling precious artifacts.

Her top and bra were flung to the floor a short while later, and Daniel made use of another skill of his, namely, the talents of a tongue that helped him speak some thirty or so languages. In an obscenely short time, he had Sam writhing in pleasure and nearly ripping his shirt off with the need to get him naked. The rest of their clothes soon followed.

In the same instant that Daniel physically joined with Sam, he established the psychic link between them. It didn't take long before they'd totally lost control and were making love with intense passion. They quickly fell headlong over the edge.

In the aftermath, they clung to each other, Daniel's shaky, rubbery legs threatening to give out on him.

"Wow again," Sam breathed.

"Uh huh," Daniel agreed. Then he smiled, eyes twinkling. "So, are there any other pieces of furniture or flat surfaces that you'd like us to christen down here before we head up to the bedroom?"

"Hmm. I'll think about it," Sam replied, grinning.

For the rest of that day and all of the next, Daniel and Sam didn't set foot outside his house, except to get the mail and newspaper. The new lovers managed to "christen" quite a few pieces of furniture, plus more than one major appliance. It amazed both of them that, considering that they weren't all that far away from forty and, every time they made love, it was intense enough to almost literally blow their minds, they had enough energy to do it so often. Daniel joked about his powers acting as a backup generator, but he had to wonder if there wasn't some truth in the statement. He felt more alive and energized than he ever had in his life, and Sam's eyes and face were fairly glowing with life. He felt like a kid again, and he knew that Sam was feeling the same thing, judging by the way she bounced around the house with a light step . . . well, that is when they weren't in the bed-or someplace else-pleasuring each other almost into insensibility.

By the time Friday morning arrived, the couple was ready to take a break. They went out to breakfast, then shopping to stock up on food for the weekend. That evening, they had their third date, which consisted of dinner and a movie. Daniel suggested with a wicked grin that they sit all the way at the back of the theater so that they could make out like horny teenagers-and that's exactly what they did, although they spent almost as much time giggling as they did kissing.

That night, they made love sweetly and very, very slowly, exploring every part of each other's bodies as their psychic link sang with the love and rapture they were giving each other. They fell asleep with smiles on their faces and their hearts filled with happiness.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Daniel and Sam were very sorry to reach the end of their leave, their first week together as lovers having been the best week either of them ever had. They left early, and Daniel dropped Sam off at her house so that she could take care of a few things before heading on to the mountain.

Yesterday, they had decided that they needed to let General Hammond know as soon as possible about the change in their relationship. They had talked for a long time about what they were going to do if the general decided that they couldn't both stay on SG-1.

"Daniel, you know that you're needed out there more than I am," Sam had insisted. "Your abilities are too valuable to lose on missions."

"But what would _you_ do, then? Stay in the lab?"

"I don't know. Maybe. It's not like there wouldn't be plenty enough to keep me busy. It would give me the time to finally work on some of those projects I've been wanting to. I guess I could join another team, instead, but that would feel weird."

"There is another option," Daniel had said after a moment.

"What's that?"

"I could accept the offer of my own team."

The suggestion had surprised Sam. "But you didn't really want your own command."

"No, and I still don't, but, back when it was first offered to me, I knew that, if it was the only way for us to be together, I'd do it. I know that I wouldn't be on SG-1, but I'd still be out there, doing what I can."

Their discussion had ended with nothing firmly decided.

About forty minutes after Daniel arrived at the SGC, he got a sudden feeling. His eyes looked up at the ceiling. Sam was here. She'd just arrived. Already familiar with being able to sense the presence of others, it was not a strange sensation, but the fact that he could feel her even though she was clear out in the parking lot was a little surprising. So was the fact that he could sense that she was a little nervous. That's when Daniel realized that a part of the psychic link had, indeed, remained. He had to wonder if Sam felt any of this, too. He also had to wonder how this was going to affect things.

The moment Sam got onto the base, she headed down to the infirmary. She felt the need to share with Janet the joy that she'd found with Daniel. Of course, she had no intention of discussing the details, but, considering how long the doctor had been trying to get Sam to do something about her feelings for Daniel, the astrophysicist figured that she deserved to know how wonderfully everything had turned out.

When Sam walked into the infirmary, Janet did a double take. She immediately came over to the major.

"Wow, Sam. You look great." She smiled knowingly. "I'm guessing that you had a very nice week."

"You don't know the half of it, Janet," Sam replied with feeling.

"Really. Well, let me finish what I was doing, and we can talk about it."

Sam went to Janet's office to wait. The doctor came in a few minutes later.

"So, is it safe to assume that you and Daniel finally went out?"

"Uh huh. Three dates so far."

"Three? All in one week? I guess the first two dates must have been pretty spectacular."

"They were. I'm not exaggerating when I say that they were the best dates I've ever been on."

"Well, that's great, Sam. Now, don't you feel silly for taking so long to make up your mind about this?"

Sam frowned at her, then sighed. "Okay, so I admit that I do wish now that we'd gotten together months ago. Heck, if I'd known then what I do now, I wouldn't have stopped Daniel from making love to me when we were on M4A-826." Then she thought about it. "On second thought, maybe it still wouldn't have been a good idea, not considering."

"Considering what? Sam, are you saying that you and Daniel have slept together? Not that I'd be the least bit surprised if you have."

"Yeah. Yeah, we have," Sam answered, her tone soft, yet full of emotion.

"And?"

"And there aren't any words in the English language or probably any other Earth language that could describe it."

"Wow. That good, huh?"

"Better, Janet. I'm not kidding when I say that it was beyond what you could imagine. And I'm not just talking about the lovemaking itself. Do you remember me telling you about that 'sharing' thing that Orlin did?"

"Yes, I do." Janet's eyes widened a little. "You mean that Daniel did that?"

Sam nodded. "He showed me everything, Janet. He showed me his soul. And he saw mine. It was so amazing. I thought I knew him really well before, but, now. . . ."

"Not many men would be willing to bare their soul to someone like that. That alone proves how much he loves and trusts you."

"Yeah. But it was more than that, Janet. We . . . linked, psychically."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we were sharing a complete empathic connection."

"You felt each other's emotions?"

"Yes, and more."

"More?"

"More, much, _much_ more."

"I don't understand."

"Janet, I felt everything Daniel felt, both emotionally and physically, and he did likewise."

It took a moment for the doctor to process what Sam had said. When she did, her eyes became huge. "Sam, are you saying that you physically experienced everything Daniel did?"

Sam nodded again.

"_Everything?_"

"Uh huh."

"Even when you were. . . ."

Sam grinned. "Yep."

Janet's mouth fell open. "Holy shit," she murmured.

Sam had to smother a laugh. That was not the kind of thing that Janet normally said, and the major found it extremely funny.

"And . . . and he experienced what you were feeling?"

"Yes."

"That, uh . . . must have been . . . rather intense."

"Oh, yeah, you can say that again." Sam was not going to go into any more details about the experience, the ways in which Daniel worshipped her body and she his, how even their psychic link could not explain the level of ecstasy that they felt every time they made love. That was too private even to share with the woman who was both hers and Daniel's doctor. The whole truth about how indescribably incredible their lovemaking was would be something that only she and Daniel would know.

"Well, all I can say is that you are one lucky woman," Janet said.

"You aren't kidding."

The physician paused. "I don't suppose that you'd be willing to tell me what it feels like for a man. That's something all women wonder about, and, now, you actually know."

Sam shook her head. "Sorry. That's a bit too private. Besides, it would be hard to describe."

"I understand." Janet smiled. "I am jealous, you know. Heck, _any_ woman would be jealous. If other women found out that Daniel has the ability to do that, you'd be beating them off with a baseball bat."

Sam gave her a grin. "If they knew the _whole_ truth, I'd probably need tactical nukes to keep them away."

The two women laughed.

Becoming serious, Janet said, "So, when are you going to tell General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill?"

"Today. There isn't going to be a problem with the colonel. I'm sure about that. I don't know about the general."

"What are you going to do if he says you can't both stay on SG-1?"

"I don't know. Daniel and I talked about it, but we didn't come to any decisions. I guess we'll just wait and see what the general says and decide then."

--------------------------------------------------

Daniel was well into a translation when he sensed that Sam was getting near. It felt like she'd just gotten off the elevator. Smiling, the archeologist stood and quickly went to the doorway. He positioned himself against the wall to the right of it.

When Sam came through a moment later, Daniel grabbed her arm, yanked her up against his chest and crushed her lips with his. Sam was stiff and unresponsive for about two seconds, then got into the spirit of the kiss. They explored each other's mouths hotly for around half a minute before pulling apart.

"You know, you're lucky I didn't knee you in the groin or toss you over my shoulder," Sam told the archeologist. "Grabbing someone who has hand-to-hand combat training like that is not a smart move."

Daniel grinned. "It was worth the risk."

"What if someone saw us through the camera feed?"

"The whole base is going to find out anyway once we tell General Hammond, so I don't think it's going to matter if the person watching the video feeds finds out ahead of time."

Sam thought about that. "You're right. Doesn't matter at all." She followed that statement up with another passionate kiss.

"Mmm. Wanna go find a closet somewhere?" Daniel asked, grinning broadly.

"Now that _would_ be a bad idea. We can't give General Hammond any reason to think that we can't handle being lovers and still remain professional on-base."

"Oh. So, no hot, wild sex on my desk, huh."

"Nope."

"Or your workbench."

"Afraid not. Sorry."

"Damn. I'm so disappointed. You have no idea how many fantasies you just shot down in flames."

"Aw, poor baby."

The lovers separated and went over to Daniel's desk.

"So, when do you think the best time to talk to Hammond would be?" the linguist asked.

"I'll find out what his schedule is like and set an appointment. That way, we'll be less likely to be interrupted or interfere with something else he's doing." Sam paused for a second. "I'm kind of nervous."

"Me too, but it's going to be okay, Sam. I love you, and we're together. No matter what the general decides, that won't change."

Sam nodded. "You're right. It's going to be fine." She stood. "I'd better go make that appointment."

Daniel caught her hand and established the psychic link. He sent all his feelings of love through it. Sam smiled beautifully and did the same back to him. She then gave his hand a little squeeze and left the room.

Daniel got back to work. It wasn't long, though, before he sensed Jack approaching. The colonel came in and walked up to Daniel, an odd little smile on his face. He sat on the corner of the desk.

"So, have a nice week?"

"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact."

The smile got a hair bigger. "Uh huh. You know, something I found rather interesting just happened. You recall how I said that Carter has this thing about humming when she's dating someone? Well, I just bumped into her, and she wasn't just humming, she was _singing_. Didn't catch much of the song, something about reaching the stars. That was interesting enough, but what really caught my attention was her face. It was . . . _glowing_. Radiant would be a good word. Now, I gotta ask myself, what would earn that kind of reaction? Got any ideas?"

Daniel stared at the older man. Obviously, Jack had guessed that he and Sam were now a couple, and there was no point in denying it or acting dumb, but there was no way that he was going to tell the colonel all about what happened on their leave.

"I might have some idea," he answered, straight-faced.

Jack's smile went up another notch. "I figured you would." The smile then widened to a full-blown grin. "So, you two finally did it, huh?"

"Did what, Jack?" Daniel asked innocently.

"Oh, cut the innocent crap, Daniel. You know what I mean. Judging by the way Carter is acting, I'd bet my paycheck that you did a whole lot more than just go out on a date. Even the best date in the world wouldn't make a woman look like that. Nope, that was the face of a woman who's had mind-blowing sex . . . repeatedly."

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. "And I assume you're an expert on this?"

"Hey, I don't want to sound conceited or anything, but I _was_ married, and I knew how to satisfy my wife."

"Ah."

"Soooo . . . it was good, huh?"

"Jack, we are not talking about this."

"Oh, come on, Daniel. You can tell me. We're best buds."

"And Sam is your second in command. Even if she wasn't, I'm not the kiss-and-tell kind of guy."

"You have to tell me _something_," Jack nearly whined. "Come on. Throw me a bone."

A little smiled curved Daniel's lips. "Okay. I'll tell you that having once been ascended has some very nice fringe benefits."

Jack frowned as he thought about that. "Daniel, don't tell me you did a Moonraker thing."

Daniel stared at him, perplexed. "Huh?"

"You know. The whole zero gravity scene with Roger Moore and what's-her-name."

"I never saw the movie, but if you're suggesting what I think you are, then, no, the laws of gravity were not defied by us at any time last week." _'Although it sure did __**feel**__ like it sometimes,'_ he added silently.

"Then what are you talking about?"

Daniel turned back to his computer. "Nope, that's all I'm going to say."

"But that doesn't tell me anything!" Jack complained.

Daniel didn't reply. He just got busy typing. When, after a few seconds, it became obvious to Jack that the archeologist wasn't going to tell him anything else, he sighed loudly.

"Fine. Be that way. So, when are you going to tell Hammond? You're going to have to, you know."

Daniel stopped typing. "I know. Sam's making an appointment with him for today. Jack . . . do you think he'll let us both stay on SG-1?"

Jack paused briefly, a look crossing his face that Daniel couldn't identify. "Well, there's no denying how valuable you both are to the team, but there are considerations to be made. Two people in a romantic relationship being on the same team could cause problems. There's the concern that you guys won't be able to stay professional and keep a level head if one of you is in danger. Some people might consider that to be too big a risk."

Daniel sighed. "Yeah, that's what I figured."

"Just cross your fingers and hope that he's in a good mood."

As it turned out, Hammond had a free spot in his schedule almost right away. Both of them feeling a little tense, Daniel and Sam went to see him.

When they entered his office, it wasn't hard for the general to tell that the two scientists were nervous. He told them to take a seat.

"I'm guessing that this is something rather serious," he said.

"Um . . . yes, sir," Sam responded. "It's . . . it's about me and Daniel, General. You see, we . . . uh. . . ." Her voice faded off, losing the words.

Daniel picked up from her. "We're romantically involved with each other, sir."

A small smile came to Hammond's face. "Ah, I see."

The couple blinked in surprise.

"You're not surprised, sir?" Sam asked.

"No, I've known since the party here at the base that there was something between you, though Colonel O'Neill told me that you weren't in a relationship at that time."

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. You and Jack have already talked about this?"

"Yes, we have. And if you're here to ask if I will allow you both to remain on SG-1, I have already discussed it with the colonel and left it up to his judgment."

A little glint of anger lit in Daniel's eyes. "I see. Thank you, sir. I guess we don't really need to talk with you about this, then."

Hammond smiled again. "I do want to say that I hope you will both be happy. It always pleases me when someone under my command finds something to bring joy into their life. With the job we have here, joy is sometimes in short supply."

"Thank you, sir," Sam said. "We appreciate that."

"There are a couple of other matters that we need to discuss," the general said. He turned to Daniel. "This concerns you personally, I'm afraid. I was intending to talk to you about it today. While you were on leave, the NID contacted me by phone. They are very interested in the fact that the knowledge of the Ancients was downloaded into your brain. They want to know if you've retained any of that knowledge."

_'Uh oh,'_ Daniel thought. _'This is what I was afraid of.' _

"I do consciously remember some things, but none of it would be of much use to us," he said aloud. "I don't remember the plans to any weapons or other devices. I doubt that the NID would be interested in the agrarian society that lives on a planet called Nestraana or the fact that there's a solar system with four dwarf stars on the outer edge of the galaxy."

"No, they probably wouldn't. And those are the only things you remember?"

"There's other stuff, too, but, like I said, nothing that would be of much use to the NID or the SGC. The rest of it is all locked back up in my subconscious."

"I see. All right, I will let them know what you've told me. Hopefully, that will be the end of the matter."

"There is one thing, though, sir."

"What's that?"

"I've regained all of my memories from when I was ascended."

Hammond leaned forward in his chair. "That's good news. I can only imagine what those memories entail."

"Some of it is pretty amazing, sir. I do remember visiting a few planets that we might want to check out. It's possible that we could gain some valuable allies or forge some good trade agreements."

"Excellent. Put anything you think is relevant or important in a written report."

"I will, sir."

"Okay, on to the second matter. An issue has arisen in regards to the Ancient outpost in Antarctica. It seems that the other countries who are privy to the existence of the Stargate Program are . . . concerned."

"Concerned, sir?" Sam inquired.

"They are, to put it mildly, nervous about the power of the weapon that is there. They are insisting that control of the outpost not be placed in the hands of the U.S."

"And who do they want to have control?"asked Daniel.

"That is still being argued about. In the meantime, all research at the outpost has been suspended."

"They're afraid we'll find out something and not share it with them," Daniel surmised.

"That's basically what it amounts to."

"So, I guess I'm not going there."

"Not at the present time, I'm afraid."

"Do you think it would do any good if I talked to them?"

"I'm not sure. A Doctor Elizabeth Weir is representing us in the talks."

A startled look crossed Daniel's face.

"What's wrong, Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked.

"Um . . . nothing. Nothing's wrong. I'm, uh, familiar with Doctor Weir's work. I referenced some of it when I was working on the treaty with the Tok'ra. She definitely knows her stuff. I doubt that anything I'd say would be better than what she can do."

"I will mention it to Doctor Weir anyway and see what she says."

"Okay."

As soon as the couple had left General Hammond's office, Sam looked at Daniel.

"Okay, what was that look for?"

"What look?" Daniel asked as he headed for the elevator.

"There's something about this Doctor Weir that you didn't tell General Hammond."

Daniel paused for a moment. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything to Hammond or Jack."

"Why not the colonel?"

"I just think it would be better if he didn't know."

"Okay, I promise."

Daniel waited until they were on the elevator before answering Sam's query. "Doctor Weir is the person the president would have replaced Hammond with if I hadn't convinced him not to."

Sam blinked a couple of times. "She is?"

"Yes."

"Wait a minute. _Would_ have picked? You mean he's not going to replace Hammond?"

"No, I don't think so, at least not at this time. I'm pretty positive that, in the original way things played out, Hammond was replaced before Anubis' attack."

"That's great. So, Doctor Weir is a negotiator, right?"

"Uh huh. She's been responsible for brokering a lot of international treaties."

"What military experience does she have?"

"None, that I know of."

Sam frowned. "Then why would the president have picked her? Someone with negotiation skills isn't going to help us with the Goa'uld. They don't negotiate . . . well, except for when Earth became a protected planet."

"It's complicated, Sam. The president did have his reasons. He just wasn't looking at the big picture."

When the elevator doors opened, Sam realized that they were on the floor that Jack's office was on.

"Are we going to see the colonel?" Sam asked. "I think he's already figured out that we're a couple now." She blushed a little. "He kind of noticed that I was in a really good mood."

"Oh, he knows, all right. He came to talk to me after he saw you. We're going to see him so that I can kill him."

"Um . . . okaaaay. So, why are you going to kill him?"

"Because I asked him if he thought that Hammond would let both of us stay on SG-1, and he didn't tell me that the general had left it up to him. More than that, he deliberately made it sound like there was a good chance that Hammond wouldn't let both of us stay on the team."

"Why would he do that?"

"Revenge."

"For what?"

"Uh . . . I wouldn't tell him something he wanted to know."

"What?"

Daniel didn't answer right away. "He . . . wanted me to kiss and tell."

"He. . . ." Sam's eyes widened a little, her cheeks coloring slightly. "And . . . and you didn't?"

"No, I didn't. It's none of his business."

"Thank you. I think I'd die of embarrassment if you'd told him anything. I mean, he's my C.O. For him to know the details of my sex life would be mortifying."

The couple reached Jack's office.

"I figured you'd be coming to see me," the colonel said with a little smirk.

"Very funny, Jack," Daniel growled. "That was a lousy thing to do."

"Hey, I didn't lie to you. I just failed to tell you that the decision wasn't up to Hammond. It didn't hurt you any to sweat a little."

Sam glared at him. "Sir, Daniel is right. It was a terrible thing to do. And for you to do it because he refused to tell you about our sex life makes it even worse."

Jack stared at Daniel. "You told her?!"

"Damn right I told her. She wanted to know why it was that I was planning on killing you."

Jack looked back and forth at the two angry people standing before him, realizing that he owed them an apology.

"Okay, I apologize. It wasn't a nice thing to do. I was just ticked off."

"With all due respect, Colonel, what Daniel and I do in the bedroom is none of your business," Sam told him angrily. "How would you feel if I asked your ex-wife about your sexual relationship with her?"

Jack knew that she had a point, and it made him even sorrier about what he'd done. "You're right, Carter. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked, and I shouldn't have done what I did when Daniel refused to tell me." He turned to the archeologist. "So, how were you planning on killing me?"

"I hadn't decided yet. Something painful."

Jack grimaced. "Well, if you can hold off on my homicide, I'd like to make it official that, as far as I'm concerned, you can both stay on SG-1 as long as you don't let your relationship affect your performance on missions. I would also like to say that I couldn't be happier that you two are finally together."

He stood up, came around the desk, and gave Sam a light hug. Then he stepped up to Daniel.

"So, am I going to get to live for another day?" he asked.

"I suppose so," Daniel replied. "But if you ever do something like that again. . . ."

Jack held up his hands. "Hey, I may not be the brightest guy on the planet, but I know better than to make _that_ mistake twice." He then pulled Daniel into a tight, brief hug, patting his back.

"So, I guess Teal'c's next on the list, huh?" Jack said. "I doubt he'll be surprised."

"No, he probably won't be," Sam agreed, "not considering what happened when Daniel . . . when we thought he'd died."

Daniel looked at her. "What happened?"

"I . . . made no secret of the fact that I was in love with you."

"Oh." The archeologist decided not to ask anything else about that. He knew that his "death" had hit Sam hard, and he didn't want to make her relive that difficult time.

As Jack and Sam had guessed. Teal'c was not surprised a bit when Daniel and Sam told him about the change in their relationship.

"This pleases me," he told them with a satisfied little smile on his face. "I have hoped for some time now that you would become lovers. I believe that you will bring each other much joy."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other and smiled. "There's no doubt about that, Teal'c," the archeologist said.

"No doubt at all," Sam agreed.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

It was no surprise that Jack had a few choice things to say about the NID when Daniel told him about that government agency's latest interest in him. It was also no surprise that the colonel wasn't broken up over the news that Daniel would not be going to Antarctica for a while. In fact, he was downright pleased, for once in his life happy that politics were messing something up.

When Daniel told Jack and Teal'c that he'd regained all his memories from the year he was ascended, the colonel was delighted at first, then he saw how hard some of those memories were hitting the archeologist. Daniel shared his memories of Abydos and Anubis with them, repeating what he'd told Sam. The two men assured him that he was not to blame for what happened, agreeing that the blame rested squarely on the shoulders of Oma and the other Ascended.

Daniel's belief that it wouldn't take long for the rest of the base to find out about the change in his and Sam's relationship proved to be right. By the time SG-1 got together for lunch, quite a few people in the commissary were staring at the couple. It was a little disconcerting, but they tried not to let it bother them. Jack thought it was rather amusing how the personnel were reacting. He had to wonder if the money in any pools would be paid out today. A few at the SGC must have considered the possibility that Daniel and Sam would become romantically involved someday. Actually, there were probably some people who thought that the two scientists were already having an affair. The closeness of their friendship would have had some thinking that there was more to it than that.

It was then that a thought occurred to Jack. "Crap!" he cursed aloud.

The rest of his teammates looked at him inquiringly.

"Something wrong, Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, I just realized that I could have made myself a nice piece of change. I should have put some money down on you guys in the pool."

"There's a pool on whether or not Daniel and I get together?" Sam asked, appalled.

"Ummm, yeah, there is," Daniel admitted a little reluctantly. "Or at least there used to be."

Everyone turned to him.

"And how would you know that?" Jack asked, extremely curious.

"I found out by accident. I overheard someone talking about it."

"When was that?" Sam asked.

It took a few seconds for Daniel to answer. When he did, he looked extremely embarrassed. "About, uh, six years ago."

Sam's eyes widened. "Six years?! You mean almost since the beginning?"

"I guess. It bothered me a lot because of Sha're. I was a married man, after all. But I guess some people thought that wouldn't make a difference since she was taken by a Goa'uld, which was as good as dead in a lot of people's eyes."

"But, after all these years, it couldn't possibly still exist."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that, Carter," Jack responded. "Until one or the other of you got married, the possibility would still be open."

"And what about when I ascended?" Daniel pointed out. "That would have put a crimp in any romantic pairing with me and Sam . . . or me and anyone, for that matter."

"Yeah, but you came back, didn't you. A lot of people here understood that you weren't really dead, that you were still around somewhere. I should imagine that some of them hoped that, someday, you'd un-glow and come back to us."

"_I_ did," Sam murmured softly.

"As did I," Teal'c stated, also quietly.

"Yeah, me too," said Jack. He pushed away the sadness of that time. "So, I wouldn't be surprised if that pool still exists. And, even if the original one doesn't, another one could have sprung up after you descended. So, somebody on this base probably made themselves a nice little wad of cash."

A satisfied little smile curved Teal'c's lips. "Indeed they did, O'Neill."

It was the Jaffa's turned to be subjected to a stare from his teammates.

"You didn't," Daniel said, realizing what Teal'c's statement meant.

"As I told you in my quarters, Daniel Jackson, I have long believed that you and Major Carter would make a very suitable couple."

"So, you _did_ bet on them getting together!" Jack exclaimed.

Teal'c's head nodded once.

"And when did you do that?" Sam asked, feeling horribly embarrassed. "Was it after you found out that Daniel had feelings for me?"

"No, it was not. I placed the bet nearly one year ago, after Daniel Jackson returned to us."

Daniel was surprised. "Why?"

"Before your ascension, I was aware that you still grieved over the loss of your wife. I knew that you were not ready to find love with someone else. After you descended and regained your memories, I could see that, though you still felt sorrow over Sha're's death, you had finally moved on. It was then that I hoped that, someday, you and Major Carter would become romantically involved."

"So, you went and plopped your money down on them, huh," Jack said. "You gonna share the wealth, T?"

Teal'c's eyebrow quirked upward. "For what reason would I share my winnings with you, O'Neill?"

"Because we're friends?" Jack answered hopefully.

"And if you had been the one to win, would you have shared your winnings with Major Carter, Daniel Jackson and I?"

"Well . . . no, probably not."

"Then what is the difference?"

Jack opened his mouth, then closed it, realizing that there was nothing he could say that would make sense.

"I am not the only one who will be gaining monetarily from this," Teal'c informed him.

"You mean that someone else bet on us?" Daniel asked. "Who?"

"I believe that Doctor Fraiser did so."

"Janet?!" Sam nearly shrieked. Then her expression changed. "You know what? I bet I know when she did it. She's known for months that I was thinking about Daniel like that. I just can't believe she bet on us."

"Doctor Fraiser is a wise and intelligent woman," Teal'c stated.

"Yeah, smarter than _I_ am, that's for sure," Jack grumbled, mad at himself for missing the opportunity to win some extra cash.

"Cheer up, Jack," Daniel said, deciding that this whole thing was actually rather funny. "If you'd bet on us, too, it would have changed the odds. Having both of the other members of SG-1 bet on us would have made people think that you guys knew something everyone else didn't, especially since Janet bet on us, too, and everybody knows that she and Sam are close. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if, when Janet placed her bet, some others did, too, when they found out."

"Such would not be the case," Teal'c stated. "Doctor Fraiser did not place the bet herself. She had Colonel Ferretti do it for her."

"Ferretti?" Daniel almost exclaimed. "Why Ferretti?"

"I do not know. You must ask Doctor Fraiser to answer that."

After lunch, Sam went to the infirmary to confront Janet, whom it turned out had placed her bet not long after Sam had admitted to her that she was thinking of asking Daniel out on a date.

"I can't believe you bet on us," Sam muttered.

"Hey, I know a sure thing when I see it," the physician responded. "I'm just glad that I didn't place the bet myself. If I had, everyone might have wondered if I had inside information, considering how close you and I are."

"Why on Earth did you pick Ferretti?"

"Because I knew that he kind of liked the idea of you two being a couple, and I decided that, because of that, he'd be the best one to place the bet for me. Of course, part of the money he put down was his."

"Colonel O'Neill is unhappy because he didn't think about placing a bet on us."

Janet smiled. "I can imagine so." She looked at Sam more closely. "You know, some of my nurses aren't very fond of you right now."

"Yes, I noticed the pouts and glares aimed at me."

"Don't worry. They'll get over it. It's not like any of them had any serious hope that Daniel would ever ask them out."

"So, what are your plans for your winnings?" Sam asked.

"I haven't decided yet, although I think I'll spend part of it on a nice mother/daughter trip to the salon, get the works for both of us, hair, nails, facial. By the way, Cassie is going to be delighted that you are a couple."

"Yes, I know. Daniel told me about the conversation the two of them had last Christmas. I'm guessing that's what inspired that whole thing with the mistletoe." Sam smiled. "I'm also guessing that there was something else as well. I _did_ notice the effects of that kiss between you and the colonel, you know. I just decided not to say anything, although I should have to get back at you for bugging me endlessly about Daniel."

Janet blushed slightly. "Cassie has it in her head that the colonel and I should be together. It's certainly nothing I ever encouraged. In fact, I had no idea she felt like that."

"So, what did you tell her?"

"Sam, this isn't appropriate."

"Why not? Being at the base didn't stop you from talking to me about Daniel."

"Daniel's isn't a superior officer."

"You're the C.M.O. The regulations wouldn't prevent you from having a relationship with Colonel O'Neill, though some up the chain of command might not like it."

"He's also _your_ commanding officer, Sam, which makes it even more inappropriate," Janet said firmly.

"No fair using that excuse," Sam pouted. "I spilled my guts to you about Daniel. The least you could do is tell me if you like the colonel that way."

Janet sighed heavily. "All right. I don't know how I feel. Yes, there was . . . something in that kiss, but I haven't thought about it since then . . . much."

"How come?"

"Because it would be way too complicated. It just wouldn't work out. Besides, we'd probably kill each other if we ever got involved."

Sam grinned. "Yes, you're right about that, but I bet you'd have lots of fun before you did."

--

By the end of the day, the majority of the SGC personnel on duty knew about Daniel and Sam. To his surprise, the archeologist was congratulated by a few guys, the men saying that he was lucky to get a woman like Sam. Though he couldn't agree more, he hadn't expected anyone to actually approach him and say so. Sam was _not_ surprised, however, that several women on base had said the same thing to her about Daniel.

The couple got some takeout on the way home and went to Daniel's. They were almost finished eating when Sam glanced at her watch.

"Right about now, Janet is probably telling Cassie the good news about us."

"Yeah. It wouldn't surprise me if Cassie--" he was interrupted by the phone ringing, "calls me," he finished with a grin. He went to the phone and saw on the caller ID readout that it was, indeed, Janet's daughter. He pressed the speakerphone button so that Sam could hear both sides of the conversation.

"Hi, Cass. Yes, I know you're happy," he said before the teen had a chance to say anything.

"Hey! That's not fair. You're not supposed to use your psychic abilities on me. It gives you an unfair advantage."

"No psychic abilities needed. You're just predicable."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Not!"

Daniel paused and turned to Sam, who had joined him at the phone. "Why do I feel like I'm talking to Jack?"

The major let out a small snort of laughter.

Cassie apparently chose to ignore the remark. "So, Mom said that you guys are finally together. Took you long enough."

"Well, thank you very much for the words of congratulations, Cassandra," Daniel responded with mild sarcasm.

"Hey, I call it like I see it. Mom told me that it took Sam _forever_ to finally admit to herself that she was in love with you."

"Gee, remind me to thank Janet for telling you that," Sam said.

"Oops," Cassie murmured sheepishly, not having realized that Sam was listening in. "Uh . . . don't tell her I said that, okay? She'll get mad at me if she knows."

"I'll think about it," Sam responded, though she knew that she probably wouldn't say a word.

"I really am happy that you guys are together," Cassie told them earnestly. "I know how sad Daniel was at Christmastime because he loved you and thought you didn't love him back. So, are you going to live together? Daniel's house is definitely big enough."

"Cassie, we've only been together for a week. It's a little soon to be talking about living arrangements," Daniel responded.

Cassie sighed. "Yeah, I guess," she admitted a little reluctantly. Her voice brightened. "Well, I just wanted to call and tell you how happy I am. I'll let you get back to what you were doing."

The tone of the teenager's voice made it clear what she thought Daniel and Sam had been doing.

"Eating, Cass. We were eating," Daniel told her.

"Uh huh. _Sure_ you were."

"Think about it, Cassie. Do you really believe I'd have answered the phone if we were doing what you think we were?"

"Daniel!" Sam hissed, his question embarrassing her.

"Good point," the teen said. "Talk to you later, okay? Bye."

As soon as Daniel hung up the phone, Sam socked him in the arm. "What possessed you to say that? That's Cassie!"

"Who is almost nineteen years old. Trust me, Sam. She's not an innocent little girl anymore. Poor Janet probably would have had a coronary if she heard what Cassie said to me when we had that conversation at Christmas."

Sam's curiosity was piqued. "What, for instance?"

"Ohhhh, I don't think so. Nope, not gonna tell you."

Sam pouted. "How come?"

"Because I was embarrassed enough when Cassie said it. Telling you would be way worse."

"Embarrassing? What could she say that would embarrass you?"

Daniel gave her a shake of his head. "My lips are sealed."

Sam stared at him narrowly. "I bet I could bribe Cassie into telling me."

Daniel glared at her, knowing that she would do what she was threatening. Realizing that it would be far better if he told her than if she heard it from the teenager, he let out explosive sigh. "Fine! Cassie told me that she . . . thinks I'm attractive."

Sam blinked. "She thinks you're attractive? That's it? That's hardly something to get embarrassed about, Daniel. There's _got_ to be more to it than that. What did she really tell you?"

The archeologist gave her a hard stare. "All right, you asked for it. She told me that, if she was you, or, more accurately, if she was your age, she wouldn't bother dating me, we'd, and I quote, 'get to the good stuff right off.'"

Sam's eyes widened in shock that the girl she'd watched grow up had actually said that. "She did?"

"Yep."

"Uh. . . ."

Daniel smiled at her reaction. "Uh huh."

"You're right. She's not a little girl anymore."

"Nope."

"And Janet would _definitely_ have had a coronary."

"No doubt of it."

"Cassie has a crush on you?"

"No, I don't think Boy, I _hope_ not." Daniel shook his head. "No, she couldn't. She wouldn't have done that mistletoe thing, and she wouldn't be so happy that we're together."

"Ah, you're right." Sam smiled. "She'd be acting like Janet's nurses were toward me today."

It took a few seconds for Daniel to realize what she was saying. When he did, he ducked his head in embarrassment. "It can't be _all_ the nurses," he mumbled.

"No, of course not." There was a long pause. "Some of them are married, after all."

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me that every one of the unmarried nurses on Janet's staff has a-a, uh . . . crush on me."

Sam smiled, enjoying herself. "You're right. Probably not all of them. Maybe only three-quarters."

Daniel shook his head. "No way. There are tons of guys on base who are way better looking than me."

"Even if that were true, which it's not, physical attractiveness is only part of the equation, Daniel. I know that from personal experience." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "It wasn't your face or your body that I fell in love with," she murmured against his lips. They shared a long, deep kiss. "Although do I have to admit that I _definitely_ love the packaging."

Their second kiss had a lot more heat. "Ditto," Daniel whispered. He smiled. "So, you wanna go do what Cassie thought we were doing?"

"Mmm. Maybe later. We should finish dinner before it gets cold." She grinned. "We'll need the calories."

With a matching grin, Daniel released his lover, and they returned to their meal.

After they were finished eating and the trash thrown away, Sam took the beverage glasses into the kitchen to rinse them out while Daniel went to the living room to select a video for them to watch. As the major was running water into one of the glasses, it slipped from her hand and fell into the sink, breaking.

"What happened?" Daniel called.

"Oh, one of the glasses broke." She reached for it. "Ow!" Sam drew her right hand back sharply and clutched it, staring at the blood welling from the gash in her palm. "Damn!"

Daniel hurried in. Seeing the cut, he grabbed a towel and pressed it to the wound.

"Well, that was really stupid," Sam said, chastising herself.

"It was an accident, Sam."

"Yeah, but it's one that's probably going to keep me off missions for at least a week. Janet will say I can't use a P-90 or a sidearm."

Daniel carefully drew the towel away to look at the wound. It was still bleeding quite a bit and looked like it might need a couple of stitches. Seeing the pain in Sam's eyes and how mad at herself she was, he wished that he still had the power to heal. He'd just wish it away. . . .

Some instinct took Daniel over. Only half-aware of what he was doing, he placed his hand over Sam's and closed his eyes. He felt a current of warmth flow through his body, down his arm to his hand and then out into Sam's hand.

Wondering what was going on, Sam felt the pain in her hand fade away to nothing. After a few seconds, Daniel withdraw his hand and they both stared at hers. The cut was gone. All that remained was the blood.

"Oh . . . my," Sam whispered in a hushed voice.

Daniel just gaped at the place where the cut had been, thoughts whirling chaotically.

Sam looked up at him. "Daniel, you . . . you. . . ."

"Yeah," he breathed.

"Holy Hannah."

The archeologist stared down at his own hands. "I, uh . . . I guess I kept something else from the download."

"Daniel, this is amazing. You have the Ancients' power to heal, like Ayiana did."

Daniel didn't respond. He washed Sam's blood off his hands, then went into the living room. Sam quickly washed her own hands, then joined him on the couch.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "I would think that you'd be delighted. You could save even more lives with this."

"I know, and I am happy about that, but. . . ." Daniel met her eyes. "Sam, do you have any idea what this is going to cause? I'm already having trouble with the NID. This it going to make it even worse. In their eyes, this will be proof positive that I retained the stuff from the download. They'll think I'm lying about not remembering most of the Ancients' knowledge."

"Just because you retained the ability to heal people wouldn't mean that you consciously retained all the knowledge."

"You and I understand that, and most of the people at the SGC will understand or at least accept that, but the NID won't."

Sam sighed. "You're probably right. So, what are we going to do, keep it a secret?"

"We can't. Janet has to be told. There could come a time when she'd really need this for a patient."

"Then we'll just have to deal with the NID when the time comes."

The couple spent the rest of the evening watching TV, though their minds weren't fully on what they were watching. That night, instead of making love, they just held each other, wondering what the days ahead would bring.

--

The next morning, Daniel requested a meeting with his teammates, Janet and General Hammond. They were now all sitting at the table, looking at him expectantly, except for Sam, of course, who was watching him with an expression of encouragement.

"Um . . . last night, I discovered something," Daniel began. He looked at everyone. "I don't know how, but I've retained the Ancients' ability to heal others."

Both Jack and Janet exclaimed in surprise.

"How did you find out?" the doctor asked.

"I cut my hand on a piece of broken glass," Sam explained. "Daniel healed it. There's not a mark left."

"So, you just, what, looked at her hand and healed it?" Jack asked. "How'd you know to do that?"

"I didn't just look at it, Jack," Daniel replied. "And it was . . . instinct. No, that's not right. Some part of me just knew that I could do it. I didn't even think about it."

"This is extraordinary news, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said. "This ability could save many lives."

Janet shook her head. "It could save lives, yes, but we have to remember something. When Ayiana cured us of the Ancients' plague, it weakened her significantly. Chances are that, if Daniel used this ability extensively, the same thing would happen to him. He would have to be very careful."

"When he healed Teal'c, he almost passed out," Jack recalled.

"Exactly."

"This is going to cause a big problem, you know," Daniel told everyone. "The NID are going to suspect that, because I still have this ability, I must also still consciously have the Ancients' knowledge."

"Crap," Jack cursed. "You're right."

"They will believe that you are lying when you say that you do not," Teal'c stated.

"Can we keep this a secret?" Jack asked hopefully.

Hammond shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Colonel. This must be reported to my superiors."

"Even if they don't believe Daniel, what can they do. They can't prove that he's lying when he's not," Janet pointed out.

"No, they can just cause a lot of trouble and be an even bigger pain in the ass," Jack responded.

"They're already showing even more interest in me because of the download," Daniel said. He turned to the general. "What did they say when you told them that I didn't remember most of the knowledge?"

"Though they did not say so openly, I got the impression that they have doubts about your claim."

"Which doesn't surprise me," Jack said. "We'll just have to make it clear that Daniel's telling the truth." He smiled. "I just thought of something. There is another good thing about this healing stuff. Miss Eternal Bloom could heal herself, too, or at least from injuries. Considering how often Daniel gets hurt, that could really come in handy."

Daniel gave him a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, Jack. Maybe I'll stop dying so often now. That's a big plus."

"You got _that_ right."

--

President Hayes shook his head in wonder as he read the latest report from General Hammond. The more time that passed, the more amazing Doctor Jackson revealed himself to be. Now, the archeologist had discovered that he had the ability to heal injuries. Hayes had to wonder what the next revelation would be.

The president leaned back in his chair. Ever since Daniel and the rest of SG-1 saved Earth from Anubis, he had been intending to send them all personal letters of commendation, but his duties as president had been especially heavy since the events in Antarctica because of having to deal with the fallout from those events. The Chinese, Russian, British, French and Canadian governments were all up in arms about the whole thing. Hayes did not envy Elizabeth Weir and the job she had trying to keep them calm and reasonable. But this is what she was trained for, and Hayes had confidence that she could handle it.

Nobody knew that Doctor Weir was one of the people Hayes had considered putting in command of the SGC before he decided that it would be best to keep Hammond there. Well, there was the chance that Daniel Jackson knew.

Hayes' thoughts turned fully to the archeologist. They all owed the man a great deal. He had saved the lives of everyone on Earth, almost at the cost of his own. A letter of commendation seemed a poorly inadequate reward.

The president recalled something that General Maynard had said. There was no doubt that Daniel Jackson deserved the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He had done more for this planet than any other civilian in history. But there was a problem. The list of Medal of Freedom recipients was public, and there was no way that an unclassified reason could be made up for Daniel being given the medal, which meant that it would have to be awarded in secret, at least from the rest of the world.

This was something he'd have to discuss with others. Though deciding who would receive the medal was his decision alone, there would be others who would have to be involved in the process, some of whom would have to be told about the Stargate Program. But, regardless of the unique difficulties that giving the medal to Daniel would cause, the archeologist was definitely worthy of the effort.

Hayes wrote a list of the people he knew would have to be involved in this, then pressed on the intercom button and told his aide to ask the vice president to come to his office. The president smiled upon thinking about what Kinsey's reaction was going to be when he told the man that he was going to give the Presidential Medal of Freedom to someone that Kinsey had reason to hate and fear.

A short while later, the vice president walked in. Hayes waved him to a seat.

"I wanted to let you know that I've been thinking about this year's recipients of the Medal of Freedom, one in particular," Hayes told him.

Kinsey nodded. "Yes, that is something that needs to be decided on within the next few months for the award ceremony in July."

"Actually, the particular recipient I'm thinking of wouldn't get his medal in the ceremony at the White House. It would be more of a . . . private affair."

Kinsey frowned. "I don't understand."

"I'm speaking of Doctor Jackson."

As Hayes watched closely, the face of the man sitting across from him darkened. "Mister President, you can't be serious."

"Why not? Doctor Jackson has repeatedly performed services to this country, to this _planet_, that fits well within the criteria laid down for the Medal of Freedom. If Bob Hope and Julia Child could be given the medal, you can't honestly say that someone like Doctor Jackson doesn't deserve it. The man deserves the Congressional Gold Medal, too, but, unfortunately, awarding that medal has to be passed by Congress, and since a huge chunk of the House of Representatives and Senate don't know about the Stargate, it'll be out of the question until the program goes public. But I and I alone decide who gets the Medal of Freedom, and I think it's way past time that Daniel Jackson is given one."

The sour expression remained on Kinsey's face. "It could not be made public."

"I am aware of that. There are a few people who will have to know, but it can be done." He handed the list of names to Kinsey. "These are the people who will have to be brought in on this. Some of them will need to be told about the Stargate Program. I want to get them together here and tell them all at once so that I don't have to repeat everything several times."

"When were you planning on giving him the medal?"

"As soon as it can be arranged." Hayes grinned. "I'd sort of like to do it before he dies yet again, not that it would make much of a difference since he'd likely pull another Lazarus."

Kinsey handed the slip of paper back to the president. "While I'm here, I wanted to ask you about your plans for Stargate Command. Now that the danger of Anubis has passed and we don't have to rush to find this Lost City of the Ancients, I think it would be an excellent time to find a replacement for General Hammond. You made a valid point about the political situation before, and--"

"Sorry, Bob. Not gonna happen," Hayes interrupted. "Hammond is staying right where he is, at least until the time comes that I choose to promote him."

"P-promote him? After all the ways he's screwed up as commander of the SGC?! Promote him to what?"

"Once we get this whole thing with the Ancient outpost straightened out, I am considering creating a new military-run organization that would oversee it, the Stargate Program, and the 302 program, everything that is connected to our . . . off-world interests. I'm thinking of calling it Homeworld Security. I thought that had a nice ring to it. General Hammond would be placed in charge since I can't think of another man more qualified for the job than he is."

Kinsey tried to hide how disturbed he was by this announcement. Such an organization would make it even harder for him and the people he was in league with to be in control of the Stargate.

"So, who would take over command of the SGC?"

"Actually, I was thinking of giving that command to Colonel O'Neill." Hayes almost smiled, waiting for the vice president's reaction.

"O'Neill?!" Kinsey squawked. "The man's an incompetent idiot! He and his team have put this planet at risk numerous times. How can you even consider giving command of the SGC to him?"

"Unlike you, Bob, I happen to think that Colonel O'Neill and the rest of his team have done a damn fine job in their position, considering what they're up against and all the strange and unique situations they have to deal with. I doubt that anyone else could have done better. But this isn't final. I'm still mulling it all over in my mind." He began riffling through a stack of papers on his desk. "That'll be all for now, Bob. I'll let you know when the meeting with those people has been arranged."

The president watched Kinsey stalk out of the Oval Office, chuckling after the door closed behind him. The truth was that, from a military standpoint, O'Neill really was the logical choice to take over command of the SGC. He was equally as experienced as Hammond was in dealing with the Goa'uld and other alien issues and dangers. The only major reservation Hayes had was the colonel's less than stellar record when it came to diplomacy. But, since talking with Doctor Jackson and after witnessing the events of the fight with Anubis, Hayes had come to realize that diplomacy was not the skill that was most needed at the SGC; it was knowledge of the Goa'uld, military experience and a keen mind for tactics and strategy, all of which Colonel O'Neill had in spades. Even so, Hayes was still not a hundred percent convinced that he would be the best man for the job. It was going to take a lot more thought before he could decide on this.

This brought the president's mind back to his original thought, the one about the commendations for SG-1. That's when an idea came into his head.

He picked up the phone and called a number it hadn't taken long to memorized. "George! How's it going?"

"Oh, pretty much the same as usual for this place, Mister President," General Hammond replied.

"Saved the planet again this week?"

"No, sir. Nothing that dramatic. Can I assume this call has to do with my report about Doctor Jackson?"

"Only partly. This newest information is astounding, that's for sure. I have to wonder what revelations are going to be made next. But the main reason for my call is that I've been wanting to send all the members of SG-1 letters of commendation for their actions in stopping Anubis, but it just hasn't gotten done. I decided that I'd like to give them the letters personally."

Hammond smiled, pleased. "They would be honored, sir."

"So, what is their mission schedule like?"

"They're not scheduled for anything important, nothing that can't be handled by another team."

"Good. Then how about Saturday? I'm planning on taking a little break this weekend and going to Camp David, have a bit of fun in the snow. I don't think that SG-1's ever been there."

"No, they haven't, sir, and, considering the problems you've had to deal with recently, I'd say you deserve a weekend off."

"My thoughts exactly. Okay then, it's settled. I will be expecting SG-1 to join me at Camp David on Saturday. Say around noon? We can all have a nice meal together before getting down to business. They can spend the night and head back home Sunday morning."

"I'm sure they'll enjoy it, sir."

"I'll have a helicopter waiting for them at the airport. Just give my aide their flight information when you have it." Hayes paused a moment. "I should tell you that there is another reason why I've decided to give them their commendations in person."

"Oh?"

"It's regarding Doctor Jackson." Hayes paused again. "I'm awarding him the Medal of Freedom, George."

Surprise and then absolute delight stilled Hammond's tongue for a moment. "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that, Mister President. If there is any man on this planet who's earned it, it's him."

"I couldn't agree more. While I'd dearly love to surprise him with the presentation, that probably wouldn't be wise. We wouldn't want him to faint from the shock."

Hammond chuckled. "I doubt that he would, sir, but it would be best to warn him ahead of time."

"Which is what I'll be doing on Saturday."

"How were you planning on doing this, sir? The public does not know about Doctor Jackson's achievements, so the medal cannot be awarded publically."

"I know. How would you feel about a little presidential visit to the SGC?"

"We would be pleased and honored, sir."

"Good. I can't think of a more fitting place to award that medal than on the ramp to the gate that Doctor Jackson opened to us."

"Neither can I, Mister President." 


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Furious, Vice President Kinsey went to his office. This was a disaster. Not only was Hayes considering creating an organization that would seriously interfere with their plans, he was actually thinking about putting O'Neill in charge of the SGC. This could not be allowed to happen--and neither could awarding Jackson the Medal of Freedom.

Kinsey sat at his desk and retrieved the cell phone from the locked drawer it was hidden in.

"We've got a big problem," he said to the person who answered the number he dialed. He explained what the president had told him about the plans for the SGC and the new Homeworld Security.

"You're right. This will cause a problem," the man agreed. "It appears that we have no choice but to remove the president."

Kinsey smiled in satisfaction. "It's about time you agreed with me on that."

"You are kept apprised of his schedule, so we'll leave it up to you to decide what will be the best time."

"Right. I'll let you know what I come up with. Are you going to have one of your own people do it or hire a professional?"

"We'll go with an independent hit man. If, somehow, he gets caught, we can't have it be anyone with ties to us. And we'll have to keep our identity a secret from him so that he can't be forced into revealing who hired him. Give us a call as soon as you work out the best time."

There was a click, and the line went dead. Kinsey put the phone back in the drawer. He pulled out the president's itinerary for the next month. With the exception of the weekend, the rest of this week was packed full of meetings here at the White House, so there was no chance that a hit could be arranged for this week. Next week and the week after looked pretty much the same. Kinsey saw that, later next month, there would be several opportunities for the assassination, but this needed to be done as soon as possible, before Hayes established his Homeworld Security. Kinsey also wanted it done before the president had an opportunity to give the Freedom Medal to Jackson. There was no way the vice president was going to let that happen.

Kinsey thought about this weekend. Hayes was planning on going to Camp David. Though killing the president there would be difficult, it wouldn't be impossible, not with the inside information he could provide. It would be the only real opportunity for the assassination during the next three weeks.

The vice president got back on the phone with his contact and told him about the trip to Camp David.

"That is not much time to arrange a presidential assassination," the man said.

"No, but the information I can provide will make it easier. Not only will I have his schedule, I can also give you information on the layout of the area, details on the security and more. I've been there more than once and know the place well."

"True. Very well. We'll plan on this weekend, if we can find someone to do the job that quickly. The moment you get the president's exact itinerary, let us know."

Kinsey hung up. He was just about to call Hayes' aide when his own aide told him that the president was on the phone for him.

"Hey, Bob," said Hayes. "I figured I should let you know that I'll have some company at Camp David this weekend."

"Company?"

"I've invited SG-1 to join me there, just for Saturday afternoon and overnight."

"SG-1?" Damn! This could cause a problem.

"Yes. I want to chat with them about a few things."

"I see. Will your aide have your itinerary?"

"As soon as everything is worked out."

"All right. Have her send me a copy as soon as possible."

Kinsey hung up. Dammit! Why, of all times, did Hayes have to invite SG-1 for a little getaway?

It was then that an idea came to Kinsey, one that would solve two problems at once. The more he thought about it, the better he liked it.

Once more, he called his contact in the organization. "Once you find someone to do the job, I need to have his contact information," he said.

"Why?"

"Just in case there's a last minute change in the plans. It will be a lot faster for me to contact the person directly than having to go through you."

"You do have a point. But no phone conversations. We can't take the chance of him recognizing your voice."

"Agreed."

"I'll contact you as soon as we've found someone."

Kinsey hung up with a smile on his face. At last, he was going to get what he wanted, control of the Stargate Program and the elimination of Daniel Jackson once and for all.

--------------------------------------------------

"Camp David?" Jack said in surprise. Hammond had just told them that the president was inviting them to meet him at the well-known presidential retreat.

"Why?" Daniel asked.

"The president has some things that he'd like to talk to you about."

Jack frowned. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

Hammond smiled. "I assure you, Colonel, it's nothing unpleasant. Just the opposite, in fact."

"Then you know what this is all about, sir?" Sam questioned.

"Yes, but I don't have permission to tell you. You'll just have to wait and find out from the president yourself."

"This weekend," Jack said.

"That's right. Noon on Saturday, to be exact. You'll stay there overnight, then fly back Sunday morning."

Jack smiled a little. "Spend the night at Camp David. Never done that before. Actually, I've never been there at all. Too bad it's not summer. I bet there's some great fishing around there."

"I'm sure that you'll find other things to keep you occupied while you're there. I've taken the liberty of having you booked on the 6 a.m. flight to Dulles. There will be a helicopter waiting there to take you to Camp David."

"Sounds good, sir," Jack said.

SG-1 left the general's office and headed to Daniel's.

"I wonder what the president wants to talk to us about?" the archeologist said.

"No idea," Jack admitted. "If Hammond hadn't assured us it wasn't anything bad, I'd be afraid that Hayes was going to try to talk you into letting the NID dig into your brain."

"Maybe he wants to talk about the stuff with Anubis and Antarctica," Sam suggested.

Daniel nodded. "That's possible."

"Well, I guess we'll find out on Saturday," Jack said. "Just be sure to pack your thermal underwear and snow boots, kids."

"I do not possess such attire," Teal'c informed him. "Nor do I intend to wear . . . thermal underwear." He said the last words with a mild look of disdain on his face.

Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself. I, for one, am not going to let any body parts freeze off."

"I have confidence that all of my body parts will still be attached when we return, O'Neill."

An imp of mischief took hold of Sam. "And don't worry, sir. I'll be sure to keep all of Daniel's body parts nice and warm."

Daniel and Jack gaped at her in shock, which both amused and embarrassed her. Then the archeologist grinned.

"And I'll be sure to do the same for Sam," he said.

"Well, at least somebody'll be warm," Jack muttered.

As he left the office, he wondered why it was that the image of a certain physician came wandering into his mind.

--------------------------------------------------

The rest of that day passed uneventfully. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the following day. As everyone had feared, the NID, upon finding out about Daniel's healing abilities, was openly expressing doubts about his claim that he remembered next to nothing of the Ancients' knowledge. A Captain Greenwood and their old friend Major Rice arrived early that afternoon, requesting to speak with Daniel immediately. Not wanting things to turn ugly, Hammond had only Daniel and Doctor Fraiser come to the briefing room, knowing that if Jack was there, he'd butt heads with the NID agents, especially Rice.

"Doctor Jackson," Rice said. "Quite a lot has changed since we last met."

"Yes, it has. But trust me, some things haven't," the archeologist told him with a hard stare.

"We'll see." The major turned to Hammond. "Several of my superiors are having a difficult time believing that, though he has retained the healing ability that came with the Ancients' knowledge, Doctor Jackson has virtually no memory of the knowledge itself."

"Excuse me, but the healing ability is only partially connected to that knowledge," Janet stated.

"How so?" Captain Greenwood asked. "Isn't it true that it's only because of the download of that knowledge that Doctor Jackson gained this ability?"

"Yes, but you have to understand how it works. The ability to heal injuries and illnesses like this is not something that can come about because of a set of instructions. You can't tell someone how to instantaneously heal torn flesh."

"Then how do you explain it?" Rice asked, frowning.

"When Doctor Jackson interfaced with the repository, a lot more happened than just a bunch of knowledge being downloaded into his mind. His brain was significantly altered by the download. Normally, there are areas of the human brain that show little activity, and there are still lots of questions about what those areas do. Since Daniel began using his paranormal abilities, some of those areas are showing significantly more activity, which leads me to believe that they are the source of those abilities. Scans I took after the download showed that virtually one hundred percent of Daniel's brain was fully active, including those areas that science is still trying to figure out. I believe that, because of the download, Daniel's natural ability to heal others was awakened in one of those areas."

"Then he already had this ability? He just didn't know it?" Greenwood asked, skeptical.

Janet shook her head. "No, not exactly. You see, it has been long theorized that all human beings possess what we call psychic abilities. It's just that the majority of us can't consciously tap into them. So, technically, we don't have them. However, if something happened to enable us to access and use those portions of our brain, everything would change."

Rice frowned. "So, you're saying that the download did that, and he somehow kept the ability even after he lost the knowledge itself?"

"Yes."

"I don't buy it."

"Why not?" Daniel asked.

"Because I think that this is all an effort to hide the fact that you remember a hell of a lot more of that knowledge than you're willing to admit."

Angry, Janet was all ready to rip into the major, but Daniel's stopped her with a little shake of the head.

"So, tell me, Major Rice. What would be my reason for hiding that?" he asked the NID agent.

"Because, if we knew for sure that you still had the knowledge, you'd be taken off SG-1. That knowledge would be far too valuable to risk by having you stay on an SG team."

Daniel leaned forward. "Think about it, Rice. What's my main reason for staying on SG-1? It's to help fight the Goa'uld. Now, think about this. If I really did have conscious access to all that knowledge, I could use it to stop the Goa'uld. It would give us exactly what I've wanted for over seven years. After everything I've done, do you honestly think that I'd be selfish enough to sacrifice the welfare of Earth and the defeat of the Goa'uld just because I wanted to stay on SG-1?"

"Considering everything you've already suffered and sacrificed for Earth, that wouldn't make sense," Greenwood admitted. Daniel was glad that at least one of the two men had some common sense.

"You could have other motivations," Rice insisted. "This wouldn't be the first time that you've deliberately taken actions to deny Earth of sorely needed technology."

Daniel sighed. "You know, constantly bringing up that whole thing about the Tollans is really getting old, Rice. Yes, I prevented our government from wrongfully imprisoning a group of peaceful aliens because I felt that the technology we _might_ have gotten from them wasn't worth the crime that would have been committed to get it. You want to know the truth? There actually is one thing that would stop me from giving our government the Ancients' knowledge, and that's if I thought we'd end up blowing ourselves up with it or become what the Velonans did."

"Velonans?" Greenwood questioned.

"The people that the Ancient, Orlin, helped save from the Goa'uld by teaching them how to build a highly advanced weapon. After defeating the Goa'uld that were attacking them, the Velonans began planning the conquest of other planets, using the technology Orlin gave them. The Ascended destroyed them to stop that from happening."

"Then you're admitting that, if you thought we shouldn't have the knowledge, you wouldn't give it to us," Rice said in triumph.

"Yes. Knowledge is power, Major Rice, and the entire knowledge of the Ancients is power beyond imagining. Earth is not ready for that much power."

Rice smiled nastily. "Then you've just told us your reason for hiding the knowledge."

"No, I've told you the reason why I wouldn't share knowledge that I thought was too dangerous. I'm not a stupid man, Major, though you apparently think I am. If I'd managed to retain a decent portion of the Ancients' knowledge, I could pick and choose what to give Earth and what to keep to myself. I could claim that what I gave you was all that I remembered. No one would ever know that I had a whole lot more. Doing that would get people like you off my back since I'd be giving you enough weapons and other technology to keep you happy. At the same time, I'd be helping us defeat the Goa'uld with that very same technology. The fact that I've given you nothing at all should tell you that I have nothing to give."

Rice sneered at him. "What I think is that you've realized you made a mistake by claiming that you remember nothing, and it's too late to correct it without showing your hand."

Daniel stared right back. "No, I could just claim that some of the knowledge leaked back into my conscious mind. After a year of remembering virtually nothing about the time I was ascended, I now remember it all. It wouldn't be all that strange for me to suddenly say that the information for some Ancient weapons popped into my memory."

"I'd like to know something, Doctor Jackson," Captain Greenwood said. "Why have you refused to let yourself be hypnotized in an effort to retrieve the knowledge?"

"Two reasons. One is what I just stated. A lot of that knowledge is too dangerous, and I'd have little control over what I remembered through hypnosis. The other reason is that I _really_ don't want to go through that whole thing over again. Having all that knowledge nearly killed me. If you started digging around in my subconscious, it could trigger a repeat of what happened before, which wouldn't help any of us. If you read the report, you know that I wasn't much use in actually imparting my knowledge to others. My brain was too overwhelmed to be able to do that."

"I'd like to interject something here," Janet said. "It has to do with what Daniel just said. The human brain is not designed to consciously hold that vast amount of knowledge. As Daniel said, it nearly killed him when he had it, and the same thing happened to Colonel O'Neill over five years ago. It would be impossible for Daniel to be consciously retaining a significant portion of that knowledge and not suffer any symptoms. Just the fact that he's sitting here, completely healthy and cognizant, is proof enough that he's telling the truth."

"We never said that he had all of the knowledge, Doctor," Rice said, "or even the majority of it. We just think that he has a lot more than he says he does."

"And who exactly is 'we'?"

"Myself and some of my superiors. It's not really necessary for you to know all their names."

"Well, you and those superiors are wrong," Daniel said bluntly, "and, since you clearly don't have any proof of your beliefs, there's not a damn thing you can do."

Rice's eyes narrowed. "Oh, there's plenty we can do, Jackson. We're under a new administration now, and this president may be less enamored of SG-1. I intend to tell my superiors that they should speak to him about having you transferred to Area 51, where your knowledge will be of greater use to the planet."

Daniel smiled. "Hey, if you want, I can pass on the message to him at Camp David on Saturday," he offered brightly.

Rice frowned. "What?"

Hammond also smiled. "SG-1 has received a personal invitation from the president to spend a portion of the weekend with him at Camp David. I guess he likes them just fine, especially since they just happened to save the whole damn planet yet again."

The NID agent scowled severely.

"I'll be sure to give him your regards, Major," Daniel said, his voice dripping with honey. He noticed a faint smile flit across Captain Greenwood's face, which led Daniel to believe that the man was not another Rice.

"I believe that this meeting is at an end," Hammond said, rising from his chair.

"General Hammond--" Rice began.

"Major, I would suggest that you leave now without saying anything further," Hammond interrupted in a dangerous tone of voice, "unless you'd like _me_ to talk to the president and tell him how much disrespect you've shown toward the man that all of us owe our lives to."

Rice proved that he did have some small measure of intelligence after all--or perhaps just a healthy sense of self-preservation--and shut up. He got up from the table and left the room.

Captain Greenwood rose to his feet. He met Daniel's eyes. "I'm sorry about that, sir. Personally, I think that you're telling the truth, and I don't think that you should be made to work at Area 51, if you don't want to."

"Thank you, Captain."

After Greenwood had left, Janet turned to Daniel. "Though I admire your honesty, Daniel, it might not have been wise to say that you wouldn't give us knowledge that you thought was too dangerous for Earth to have."

"If I hadn't said it myself, sooner or later, Rice or someone else would have suggested that was my reason for hiding the knowledge. With my track record, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch."

"Good thinking," Hammond said. "In this way, you cut off that avenue of speculation before it even got started."

"Well, I have to get back to the infirmary," Janet told them. "SG-18 came back from their last mission with a severe case of an alien version of poison oak, and the calamine lotion isn't helping."

"Thanks for your help, Janet," Daniel said.

"My pleasure, Daniel."

The petite doctor left the briefing room.

Daniel turned back to Hammond. "Sir, do you think this is it or can I expect more trouble from the NID?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, Doctor Jackson. However, I wouldn't object if you asked the president on Saturday to step in and tell the NID to leave you alone."

Daniel smiled a little. "Maybe I'll do that, sir."

Hammond smiled as well. "Now go on and tell your teammates that you're not going to be hauled off to Area 51. After waiting in the corridor all this time, I'm sure they're getting anxious."

Startled, Daniel stared at him. "You knew?"

Hammond's smile got bigger. "I'm not a general for nothing, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel left the briefing room and went straight to where he knew that Sam, Jack and Teal'c were waiting.

"Hi guys," he said.

"So?" inquired Jack.

"Don't worry, Jack. The NID aren't going to come here and drag me kicking and screaming off to Area 51. Rice was his usual charming self. We all argued back and forth about whether or not I remembered more of the Ancients' knowledge than I said I did. I said that it didn't matter what Rice and his superiors thought since they had no proof and could do nothing about it. He told me that they were going to talk to the new president and get him to approve my transfer, and I told him about our upcoming visit to Camp David at the president's personal invitation."

Sam smiled. "I bet that surprised him."

"Just a bit. After that, Hammond threw Rice out. Oh, and Captain Greenwood apologized for Rice being a jackass."

That surprised Jack. "He did?"

"Uh huh. He apparently doesn't share Rice's viewpoint."

"That's good," Sam said. "I know that there must be a lot of people at the NID who aren't in the same camp as Major Rice. I'm certain that Agent Barrett isn't."

"So, how come it's just the jackasses that come here?" Jack asked.

"Maybe because of the fact that they _are_ jackasses," Daniel replied.

"Oh. Right." Jack looked at his teammates. "So, lunch anyone?"

--------------------------------------------------

Not surprisingly, no one heard anything about the NID talking to the president about transferring Daniel, which probably meant that either they realized it would be a waste of time or the president told them to take a hike.

Because of the early flight time to Camp David, SG-1 decided that it would be best to stay at a hotel in Denver Friday night so that they wouldn't have to drive all that distance Saturday morning. Even doing that, they were still going to have to get up really early to catch their flight.

It was late Friday morning when the warning of an unscheduled off-world activation was announced. SG-1 happened to be nearby and made it to the control room just as the wormhole was established.

"We're getting an IDC code, sir," Harriman said to Hammond. "It's the Tok'ra."

"Oh, _wonderful_," Jack muttered. "What do _they_ want?"

Everyone was pleased to see Jacob Carter appear through the event horizon. Hammond and SG-1 went down to greet him.

"Dad," Sam said with a smile, coming forward to hug him.

"Hey, Sam. It's good to see you."

"So, I'm guessing you've heard all the news," Jack said.

"How could we not? Earth destroying Anubis and his entire fleet is the talk of the galaxy."

"And you guys wanna know how we did it, right?"

"We'd sort of like to know that, yes, although we already know that Ancient technology is involved. The Goa'uld are aware that you found some kind of Ancient weapon here on Earth."

"Let's go up to the briefing room," Hammond said.

"So, I'm assuming that this is a pretty long story," Jacob said once everyone was seated.

"Oh, not so long," Jack replied. "I think I can sum it up in under two minutes. A certain archeologist figures out that there's an Ancient repository on Planet X. SG-1 and Company go to Planet X and find said repository. The Goa'uld display their usual habit of showing up at the worst possible moment and try to blow up SG-1 and Company so that they can have the repository for themselves. The aforementioned archeologist decides that we can't let Anubis get the knowledge of the Ancients, but we also can't let all that lovely knowledge be lost, so guess what he does. He sticks his head in the Ancient headsucker. Presto! All that knowledge is now in his brain. A little C-4, and boom goes the repository. With half-conscious archeologist in tow, SG-1 and Company beat it back to Earth.

"Well, as everyone knew would happen, the archeologist starts to do and say weird things because of all that stuff crammed into his brain. Amidst all the weirdness, he thinks he finds the Lost City of the Ancients.

"In the meantime, Anubis, royally pissed off that we cheated him out of his prize and thinking that we're now going to get all the really cool Ancient toys, decides to come kick our ass. So, SG-1 and Bra'tac go running willy-nilly to what we think might be the Lost City, but, instead, turns out to be a planet that makes Netu look like a vacation spot. But all is not lost, for there's this nicely decorated little place there that has a functioning power source. SG-1 takes the power source and hightails it back to Earth. Unfortunately, the archeologist isn't doing so good because his brain is being overwhelmed by all the Ancient knowledge.

"Back on Earth, Anubis has arrived and sees that, hmm, nobody's firing at him, so we must not have any cool weapons. But, before he can get busy kicking our ass, it's SG-1 to the rescue. The archeologist, despite the fact that he's no longer playing with a full deck, manages to out-fly several dozen Al'Kesh and death gliders, then finds an Ancient outpost hidden beneath the ice in Antarctica. SG-1 rings down to it. And that's when things _really_ get interesting. As the rest of SG-1 fights supersoldiers in the outpost and the Prometheus and our entire fleet of 302's battle Anubis' forces up above, the archeologist sits in this nifty throne and makes these glowy squid things fly up and totally blast Anubis and his ships to bits.

"But is this the end of our story? Nope! Because, now, his job done, the archeologist very inconsiderately dies on us."

Jacob looked at Daniel sharply. Before he could make the comment that the linguist looked alive to him, Jack continued.

"But guess what. It turns out that he's not dead after all, even though he laid in the morgue for four hours. He's just," Jack made air quotes, "'sleeping'. More accurately, he's in some kind of suspended animation that just makes him _look_ dead because his heart's beating only twice a minute. At last, the archeologist wakes up, and everything is just peachy." Jack looked at his watch. "Did I make it?"

"Sorry, Jack. Two and a half minutes," Daniel replied.

"Damn. I didn't talk fast enough."

Jacob shook his head. "You know what's really sad? This doesn't surprise me one bit, well except maybe for the suspended animation thing." He looked at Daniel. "Care to elaborate?"

Daniel explained it to Jacob, who, along with Selmak, was amazed by the whole thing.

"But what about the Ancients' knowledge?" the Tok'ra asked.

"Now, why does it not surprise me that you'd zoom right in on that?" Jack said.

"It's still there, but most of it is buried in my subconscious," Daniel explained. "I don't dare try to get at it in case it causes everything to start happening all over again."

"So, you've got the entire knowledge of the Ancients sitting in your brain, but you can't touch it?"

"Yep."

"Too bad. With that knowledge, we could destroy the Goa'uld."

"And ourselves. Oh, don't get me wrong. If I could manage to safely dig out of my head what we need to stop the Goa'uld, I'd be delighted, but that's as far as I would go. You can't comprehend the vastness of that knowledge, how powerful it is. The human race isn't even close to being ready for it . . . and neither is the Tok'ra."

Jacob's head dipped. When he spoke again, it was with the echoing tone of Selmak. "I would agree with you, Doctor Jackson, though I am certain that others among the Tok'ra would not. The full extent of that knowledge is too dangerous for either of our races to possess."

"Glad to hear you say that, Selmak," Jack said.

The Tok'ra's head dipped again. "I'd say it would be best if we didn't let the other Tok'ra know that Daniel still possesses that knowledge," Jacob stated. "They'll just insist that he submit to the use of a memory recall device."

"Well, they could insist all they wanted, but it wouldn't do them any good," Jack declared. "And they can't even throw the Earth/Tok'ra alliance in our faces since you guys broke that off."

"Nevertheless, it would be best of they didn't even know."

"Agreed," said Hammond.

"So, is this the only reason for your visit, Dad?" Sam asked.

"No, I'm afraid not. After Anubis' defeat, the other System Lords decided to divide his armies and territories amongst themselves."

"Why, how very civilized of them," Daniel said sarcastically.

Jacob shrugged. "Every once in a while they surprise us."

"This would be a good thing, right?" Sam reasoned. "It means that no single Goa'uld will have all that power."

"Yes, it would have been the best thing we could have hoped for under the circumstances."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here," Jack said.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Someone beat them to the punch. We don't know who it is, but somebody has taken over control of Anubis' drones and is attacking the System Lords."

"You have no idea who it is?" Daniel asked.

"We can only assume that it's one of the Goa'uld that was working for Anubis. Strangely for a Goa'uld, they're keeping a low profile."

"Except for the fact that they're kicking the butts of the System Lords," Jack pointed out.

"So, what does this mean?" Sam asked.

"While we're not sad to see the System Lords getting their butts kicked, we're concerned about what's going to happen once the Goa'uld butt-kicking stops," Jacob replied.

"Whoever it is might go looking for other butts to kick," Jack guessed.

"Exactly. Like I've said before, a single all-powerful Goa'uld is the worse thing that could happen. That's what we were afraid was going to happen with Anubis."

"So, what do you want _us_ to do?"

"We're hoping that you can find out who this Goa'uld is. Your alliance with the rebel Jaffa gives you a source of information that we no longer have. If we already knew who it was, I doubt I'd have come here, but the Tok'ra really don't like having a powerful Goa'uld out there somewhere that we know nothing about."

"We'll keep our ears to the ground, Dad," Sam assured him.

"And we can ask the Jaffa what they know about this," Daniel said.

"We'd appreciate that." Jacob got up from the table, as did everyone else.

"Do you have to leave right away?" Sam asked her father, wishing he could stay a while.

"I can't stay long, but I could spare a bit more time."

Jack grinned. "That's good, because you've got another surprise in store for you."

Daniel glared at him.

Jacob looked at everyone in puzzlement. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later, Dad," she shot a look at Jack, "in _private_."

Jacob looked even more puzzled. "Okay, now I'm _really_ confused."

Taking pity on Daniel and Sam before Jack could do something to embarrass them, Hammond dismissed everyone.

"Let's go to Daniel's office, Dad," Sam said. She, Daniel and Jacob started heading toward the elevator. When the archeologist saw that Jack was following a few yards behind them, he told Sam and Jacob to go on ahead, then turned back around.

"Stop right there, Jack," he commanded.

"What? I was just walking in the same direction," Jack claimed. "This is the only way to the elevators, you know."

"Give it up, Jack. I know what you were planning. You were going to sneak over to my office and see if you could listen in as we tell Jacob about us."

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were."

"No. . . ." Jack stopped when Daniel subjected him to a glare. "Okay, so I _might_ have entertained that thought for a few seconds."

"Uh huh. Are you forgetting that I can sense your presence? You wouldn't get within fifty feet of my office before I knew you were there."

Jack said nothing. He _had_ forgotten that fact even though, after all this time, he really shouldn't have. Okay, so, if he couldn't _listen_ in, maybe he could watch--

"And don't you dare go to the monitoring room to watch us on the camera feed," Daniel ordered in a steel-hard voice.

"Dammit, Daniel. I really wish you'd stop doing that. It weirds me out!"

The archeologist smirked. He turned to Teal'c, who was watching nearby. "Teal'c, I'm leaving it up to you to see that Jack stays away from my office and from the monitoring room."

"Have no fear, Daniel Jackson," the Jaffa said. "O'Neill will not approach either place until after you and Major Carter have spoken to Jacob Carter."

"Thanks, Teal'c. I knew I could count on you." Daniel left, managing to catch the elevator as someone got off.

Jack spun around and glared at the Jaffa. "Hey. I'm the team leader here, not Daniel. Are you forgetting that?"

"I am not, O'Neill. But, since we are not on a mission and this is not a matter of the safety of this base or the Earth, I am under no obligation to follow your orders or do what you wish of me."

"So much for loyalty," Jack grumbled.

"On the contrary. I am being loyal to my friendship with Daniel Jackson, as you should be. The conversation that he and Major Carter must have with her father is a private matter between the three of them. We should not seek to eavesdrop upon it or to watch it."

The censure in the Jaffa's voice stung. "Okay, you're right. I was just curious about how they were going to tell him and how he'd react."

"You may ask Jacob Carter before he leaves what his thoughts are concerning Daniel Jackson and Major Carter's relationship."

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun as seeing the look on his face when they drop the bombshell on him." Jack sighed. "Come on, Teal'c. Let's go get some blue jello or something."


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

When Daniel got to his office, Sam was wandering around the room as Jacob sat in a chair, studying one of the artifacts. The archeologist shut the door.

"Sorry for the delay," he said.

Jacob put down the artifact. "Okay, so what's this is about? Sam wouldn't tell me until you got here."

"Um . . . do you recall that conversation I had with you the day Anubis' supersoldiers attacked the Alpha Site?" Sam asked.

Jacob frowned. "Which conversation?"

"The . . . one about Daniel."

An expression of realization filled Jacob's eyes. Then a huge smile split is face. "Well, it's about damn time!" he said, which made both Sam and Daniel flush. "So, how long has this been going on?"

"A little over a week," Daniel answered, feeling pretty embarrassed.

"Well, I couldn't be happier. Selmak feels the same. In fact, he just told me that he suspected this was what you were going to tell me, but didn't say anything because he wanted me to be surprised. The little sneak."

"Symbiotes can keep secrets from their hosts?" Sam asked.

"If they want to, though, with the Tok'ra, to maintain a relationship of complete trust with the host, they usually don't since any secrets can . . . leak out eventually." He smiled. "But enough about that. I'm delighted that you've taken this step. You'll be good for each other. I was wondering about SG-1, though. Will you both be staying on the team?"

"General Hammond left it up to the colonel," Sam replied.

Jacob smiled slightly. "And, of course, he's not going to want to lose either of you from the team." His gaze sharpened. "Do you think there are going to be any problems with being on the same team?"

"We really haven't talked about it much," Daniel admitted, "but I think that we'll be okay. We're not going to let personal stuff get in the way of doing our job."

"And what about if one of you is in danger or seriously injured? How well do you think you'll handle it?"

Daniel and Sam exchanged a glance.

"I really don't know," Sam replied. "I'm hoping that I'll be able to handle it and stay focused on the job, but I guess neither one of us will really know until the time comes."

Jacob gave a nod and turned to the archeologist. "If you don't mind, Daniel, I'd like to speak to my daughter alone. We can go someplace else, if you prefer."

"No, that's okay. I'll go. Um . . . how long?"

"Oh, not long, maybe twenty minutes?"

"Okay."

Daniel left, closing the door behind him.

Jacob studied his daughter's face. "Are you happy, Sam?"

"Happy? Oh, Dad. Happy doesn't even come close. Daniel is the best. He's wonderful. He loves me so much, and I love him."

Jacob smiled. "Good. I'm glad. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Sammie. But the last time we talked about this, you said that you didn't want to be in love with Daniel. You never explained that."

"Oh. Yeah. It seems kind of silly now."

"Want to tell me?"

Haltingly, Sam told her father about the deep fear that had plagued her, that, if she let herself love Daniel, something terrible would happen to him.

"When we thought that he had died after stopping Anubis, I believed that my fears had come true," Sam finished, tears stinging her eyes.

Jacob came forward and pulled her into a hug. "Oh, Sam. I should have known it was something like this. I've known for a while now that you were afraid of committing yourself to a relationship. I just didn't realize it was this bad. I hope you realize now that loving someone isn't going to make something bad happen to them."

"Yeah, I do, Dad. I will always be afraid that something will happen to Daniel, but I know that, if it does, it's not because I love him."

"Good. So, what plans do you two have?"

"Nothing really, not yet. Right now, we're just enjoying being together. I, um . . . _have_ had thoughts about living with him in the house he bought, and I know that Daniel's has, too."

Jacob smiled. "Well, I have just one thing to say."

"What's that?"

"Don't you dare get married without me there to give you away, even if you have to track me to the other side of the galaxy."

Sam smiled almost shyly. "If that ever does happen, I would never get married without you there, Dad, and I know that Daniel feels the same."

Sam and Jacob talked quietly for several more minutes, the major telling her father about her dates with Daniel, though, for obvious reasons, she left out what happened at the end of the second date and didn't mention the make-out session in the theater.

Daniel returned right on time. He looked at Jacob a little nervously. The former general came forward and pulled him into a tight embrace, which surprised the archeologist.

"Thank you for making my daughter happy, Daniel," Jacob murmured. He drew back and met Daniel's eyes intently.

"It works both ways, Jacob," the archeologist told him softly. "She makes me happy, too."

Jacob smiled and patted the archeologist's shoulder. "I wish I could stay longer, but I really do need to get back."

"Will you be able to come for another visit soon?" Sam asked.

"I'll try, but with everything heating up like it is, the Tok'ra are going to be very busy."

Daniel and Sam walked with Jacob to the gate room, telling him about tomorrow's trip to Camp David. The Tok'ra was pleased that the new president appeared to appreciate everything SG-1 had done for Earth.

Before leaving through the gate, Jacob gave each of them a hug, then he rested his hands on Daniel's shoulders.

"For a long, long time, I've wanted my daughter to find someone who would be a true match for her, somebody she could truly be happy with. For quite some time now, I've had a feeling that person could be you. I'm glad that I was right. Take good care of my daughter, Daniel."

"I will, Jacob. You have my promise."

Giving Daniel's shoulders a final squeeze, Jacob walked up the ramp and through the event horizon.

"Every time he leaves, I miss him," Sam said.

Daniel put his arm around her shoulders. "I know, Sam." He grinned. "So, shall we go find Jack and fill him in before he explodes from curiosity?"

Sam thought about it. "I say we let him suffer a while longer."

Daniel grinned. "I like the way you think, Samantha Carter."

With a laugh, the couple left the gate room and went back to Daniel's office. They were deep in a conversation about who might be in control of Anubis' drones when Jack and Teal'c came in.

"Well?" the colonel asked. "How did he take it?"

Daniel and Sam exchanged a look and a smile. It was Daniel who replied.

"I believe his exact words were, 'Well, it's about damn time.'"

Jack stared at him. "They were? You mean he wasn't surprised at all?"

"Not much. We didn't expect him to be. He already knew that I was in love with Sam. He gave me his blessing months ago."

"How come you never told me that?" Jack asked, a little put out.

"Because it really wasn't any of your business, Jack."

"So, Jacob likes the idea of you two being a couple, huh?"

"Yep."

Jack looked at Sam. "Did you know that?"

"Yes, for a few months now."

Jack gave a satisfied nod. "Good. I won't have to have a little talk with him, then."

Both Sam and Daniel stared at the colonel with raised eyebrows.

"A talk?" Daniel inquired. "And what exactly were you planning on saying to him if he was against me dating Sam?"

"Oh, just that you two make each other happy and that you're a hell of a lot better boyfriend for Carter than other guys she's met, none of whom would have passed my test if she was my daughter."

"Gee . . . thanks, Jack. I'm so happy that I would pass you Boyfriend Test," Daniel responded with the tiniest hint of sarcasm.

"Thank God you didn't talk to Dad," Sam muttered, thinking it would be excruciatingly embarrassing for Jack of all people to tell her father something like that, considering that she used to have an infatuation for him.

"So, now that you have Daddy's approval, you going to move in together?" Jack looked at Daniel. "And don't think I don't know that's what was on your mind when you decided to get a bigger house."

"Yes, I admit I was thinking about that when I decided to get something bigger. I was still hoping at the time that Sam and I would get together someday. But she and I haven't talked about it yet. We've only been dating for nine days. Give us time."

"Fair enough." Jack found another chair and sat down. "So, what do you think about this whole thing with the mystery Goa'uld?"

"Sam and I were just talking about that," Daniel said. "The fact that he was able to take control of the drones either means that he was on the inside from the start and already knew how Anubis was controlling the drones or he's very smart and was able to figure it out for himself."

Sam nodded. "We know that Anubis must have had scientists working for him. One of them may have been the person who devised the way to imprint the drones with their loyalty to Anubis. Once Anubis was gone, they might have decided this would be the perfect opportunity to grasp the power for themselves."

"It wouldn't be surprising," Daniel stated. "All Goa'uld have that desire for power, even those that are subservient to other Goa'uld."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "There are those among the present System Lords who were once in service to another Goa'uld. Many times, a Goa'uld of lower station has risen to power by killing their master or by filling their master's position when he was killed by another."

Jack frowned. "So, some underling has decided to play with the big boys, huh."

"I just wish we knew who it was," Daniel said.

"Well, with their egos, you can bet that, sooner or later, he's gonna come forward and start trumpeting his own horn."

--------------------------------------------------

John Benedict picked up the weapon that lay upon the bed and carefully began to clean and examine it. He couldn't take the chance that the weapon would jam, especially not for this job.

This was not the first time that the assassin had been hired to kill the leader of a country, but it _was_ the first time that anyone had approached him about assassinating the leader of a country as powerful as the United States. Benedict knew that this would likely be the most dangerous job he'd ever do, but it would place him in the history books, though, if he did his job right, the history books would never have his name.

Three days had not been much time to plan a presidential assassination, but the inside information he'd been given had helped tremendously, especially the maps of the area and suggestions on where he could set up and have a clear line of sight of where the president would be. It was going to be a challenge, but he was confident that he would succeed. Benedict did not question who it was that wanted the president dead. That was none of his business. This was a job, nothing more, and he did not involve himself in politics.

The assassin's cell phone rang, alerting him that he had just received a text message. He read the message, which told him that an email had been sent to his laptop. He went to the computer and opened the email, which had a file attachment.

_"There has been a change of plans,"_ said the email. _"There is an additional target. Money has been wired to your account for the second target. It is vital that it appears that the second target is merely collateral damage. No one must guess that he was specifically targeted. If you must wound others to make it appear so, you are permitted to do that." _

Benedict scrolled down to the photograph included with the email. A handsome, brown-haired man wearing glasses was revealed. He memorized the face of the man, then destroyed the email, wiping all traces of it from his computer. He was mildly curious about who the second target was, but, as long as it didn't cause any problems, he really didn't care.

Soon, the U.S. would be minus a president, and he would be on a jet out of the country with the satisfaction of a job well done.

--------------------------------------------------

A light snow was falling as the helicopter flew over the Catoctin Mountains. The members of SG-1 looked out the windows at the terrain below. Since there were no ski lifts, there were few people around, only cross-country skiers, people going snowshoeing and the occasional family having fun in the snow.

Soon, they had arrived at their destination. SG-1 disembarked from the helicopter and were greeted by a Navy lieutenant, who led them into the presidential cabin, the Aspen Lodge.

President Hayes came forward with a smile. "Welcome to Camp David." He shook Daniel's hand first. "It's nice to see you again, Doctor Jackson."

"Likewise, sir."

Hayes went to Jack next. "Colonel O'Neill. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Jack shook the man's hand. "Not all of it good, I'm betting."

The president laughed. "Not everyone is a fan of mine either, Colonel. I always choose to make my own opinions of someone, not judge them by the opinions of others." He went to Sam and took her hand. "Major Carter. I can't tell you how much this country owes to you and your extraordinary skills."

"Thank you, sir."

Hayes stepped up to Teal'c. "And Teal'c. I hope you won't be offended if I say that you're the first alien I've ever met in person."

"I am not offended, Mister President, since it is the truth."

"I'm sure I speak for many when I say that I'm glad you chose to join our side. Your help has been invaluable."

The Jaffa inclined his head.

"So, everyone hungry?" Hayes asked all of them. "My cook has whipped up a very nice lunch for us."

Conversation during the meal was light, the president wanting to get to know his guests a little better. He seemed particularly impressed by the number of languages Daniel could speak and had the archeologist name them all.

After lunch, the group went to a comfortable lounge, where they were brought coffee, tea and other beverages.

"I'm guessing that you're all wondering why I invited you here," the president said. He went to a table and picked up four envelopes, handing one to each of them. "Those are official letters of commendation for your actions in saving Earth from Anubis. To be honest, they couldn't come close to thanking you for what you did. Every one of you displayed a level of heroism, perseverance and skill that few possess."

Surprised, SG-1 stared down at the envelopes.

"It would be impressive enough if this had been the first time that you saved this planet," Hayes continued, "but the fact that you've done so repeatedly makes your accomplishments nothing short of legendary. I want you to know that I am proud that you are all citizens of the United States of America, whether you were born here or," he looked at Teal'c, "unofficially adopted into this country."

"Thank you, Mister President," Jack said. This was not at all what he had been expecting.

"It's my pleasure, Colonel." Hayes smiled. "You might be wondering why I went to the trouble of bringing you out here instead of just mailing those commendations to you. I've been intending to give you those ever since the events in Antarctica, but my job has been just a little busy lately. I suddenly decided that you deserved to have them presented to you in person." He paused. "There is another reason as well, however." He focused his attention on Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I think I can safely say that there isn't another civilian on the face of this planet that we owe more to. It would take hours to list every one of your accomplishments and every way that you have helped the people of Earth, not to mention human beings on other worlds. I know that it cannot come close to repaying you for all that you have done, but I am announcing to you that you are being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom."

Sam let out a sharp gasp. "Oh my God," she whispered.

An ear-to-ear grin split Jack's face as he was filled with pride. _'Yes! You're finally getting the recognition you deserve, Daniel.'_

Teal'c was delighted that Daniel was being given such an honor, one that he richly deserved.

As for Daniel, he was stunned speechless. He'd never considered that he'd be awarded the Medal of Freedom. He'd never even thought about it.

"I . . . I don't know what to say, sir," he said in a quiet, shocked voice.

Hayes smiled in understanding. "No words are necessary, Doctor Jackson. If it had been up to me, you'd already have a closet full of the things. And if it was also up to me, you would be receiving the Congressional Gold Medal as well, but that one isn't within my power to give. But I can assure you that if, for some reason, the Stargate Program goes public during my term, I will recommend to Congress that you be given one. Heck, I'll even recommend it to them if it happens _after_ my term."

Daniel's mind was whirling. He was also feeling rather embarrassed by the effusive praise. He had definitely not been prepared for this.

"Thank you, sir. I, um . . . thank you."

"No, Doctor Jackson. Thank _you_." Hayes walked toward the door of the lounge. "Now, if you'd all like to freshen up and relax for a while, one of the guest cabins has been prepared for you. Lieutenant Trask will take you there. He has been assigned the duty of being your aide during your stay."

The same man who met them at the helicopter showed them to the cabin. SG-1 saw that their luggage had already been taken there.

The moment the lieutenant was gone, Sam threw her arms around Daniel's neck. "Oh, Daniel, I am so happy for you!" she exclaimed in delight. She kissed his lips soundly.

Jack grinned broadly. "It's about time they gave you proper recognition for everything."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "I am most pleased that you are being given this honor."

"Well, I'm just plain shocked," Daniel admitted. "This really isn't something I ever expected or even thought about."

"Which doesn't surprise me a bit," Jack said. "You deserve it, Daniel, _more_ than deserve it."

Sam wrapped an arm around Daniel's waist. "I wonder how they're going to do it. The Medal of Freedom awards is public. They couldn't make Daniel's public."

"I guess it'll be a private ceremony," Jack determined. "It wouldn't surprise me if they have it at the SGC."

Daniel sat on the couch, still feeling rather stunned. "This isn't something I ever would have asked for, you know. I don't do all these things for recognition."

Sam sat beside him. "We know, Daniel."

Jack took a seat. "But don't you dare say that you don't deserve it. You heard the president. You should have enough of the doggone things to wallpaper your living room with. And it is too bad that you can't be given the Gold Medal, too. That would be sweet. There aren't many people who have both it and the Medal of Freedom."

"What is the Congressional Gold Medal, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, never having heard of it.

"It's awarded by Congress," Sam explained. "It is considered to be an honor equal to the Medal of Freedom, given to a person who has perform an outstanding deed or act of service to the prosperity, security, or national interest of the U.S. It's been in existence a whole lot longer than the Medal of Freedom--since 1776, I think--but a lot less people have been awarded it. Every medal is unique, usually picturing the person it's awarded to."

"If everyone in Congress knew about the Stargate Program, I bet Daniel would get one," Jack stated, "that is if they could figure out how to keep it a secret."

Daniel stared at the carpet, once again embarrassed.

Jack clapped his hands together and got to his feet. "I am in the mood to celebrate. I wonder if they've got any champaign in this place."

"Probably not, sir," Sam responded, smiling.

As Sam had guessed, there was no champaign, but when Jack asked Lieutenant Trask if he could get some, the man assured him that they would have some at the lodge and called for someone to bring some.

Fifteen minutes later, Jack, Sam and Teal'c were giving a toast to an extremely embarrassed Daniel, the two humans with champaign, the Jaffa with sparkling cider.

Afterwards, the foursome went to investigate their cabin. Actually, "cabin" wasn't really an adequate word for the structure, which had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big kitchen--with a fully stocked refrigerator--and, to Sam's delight, a hot tub. The moment she laid eyes upon it, an image came into her mind of her and Daniel in it--naked. Obviously, that wasn't going to happen with the colonel and Teal'c staying in the same cabin, but there was no way that she was going to pass up the chance to use it with him. Fortunately, someone had thought to place various sizes of men's and women's bathing suits on a table near the hot tub.

"I've got dibs on the bedroom with the wood paneling," Jack said. He looked at Daniel and Sam. "Which one do you guys want?"

Sam stared at him. "One?"

"Well, yeah. Did you honestly think I was going to make you guys stay in separate bedrooms just because we're all sleeping under the same roof? We're not on a mission, so there's no question of unprofessional conduct." He grinned. "Just try to keep the noise down, okay? I need my beauty sleep."

Their faces flaming, Daniel and Sam escaped to one of the bedrooms.

"The only way that could have been more embarrassing is if it had been my dad who said it," Sam muttered.

The couple unpacked their single change of clothing so that they wouldn't get wrinkled. Sam went to the window and looked out at the woods. Daniel came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I can't say that this is someplace I ever expected to spend a weekend," he said.

"Me neither." Sam turned around in Daniel's arms and met his eyes. "You do deserve it, you know. The Medal of Freedom is given for achievements over a lifetime, not for a single act."

Daniel smiled a little. "Sometimes, it does seem like these years with the program has been a lifetime."

Sam smiled, too. "Well, considering that you've died several times, you could almost say it's been _more_ than one lifetime."

The archeologist gave a soft laugh. He nuzzled Sam's neck. "So, were you thinking what I was thinking when we saw the hot tub?"

"Mmm. I'm betting that I was. Too bad the colonel and Teal'c don't have a separate cabin."

"Well, I could always ask the president if they can be moved so that we can do the wild thing in the hot tub."

"Don't you dare. Two of his guests having sex in one of his cabins might not go over too well."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Hayes seems to have a great sense of humor. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me if we weren't the first."

After relaxing for a little while in the cabin, Daniel and Sam went for a walk in the woods while Teal'c and Jack explored the area around the lodge. Fortunately, there wasn't so much snow on the ground that it made walking difficult.

As was always the case in the winter when there was snow on the ground, there was a muffled hush in the air, no sounds of birds or mammals disturbing the stillness. One could almost believe that they were the only things alive in the entire world. Daniel and Sam walked without speaking, arms around each other's waists. They had been walking for around fifteen minutes when Sam glanced at Daniel and saw a little frown knitting his brow.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how everybody was asking if we were going to live together."

"Yes, I did notice the frequency of that question. Even Dad was feeling me out about that."

Daniel looked at her in surprise. "He was? That surprises me."

"Why? Did you think he would make you marry me first?"

"Well, that is what fathers usually want."

Sam smiled. "Actually, he did say that we'd better not get married without him being there."

Daniel smiled as well. "After the stuff at the Alpha Site, when your dad talked to me about us, he told me that he expected us to give him enough time to get here for the wedding."

"Really? You didn't tell me that before." Sam hadn't been all that surprised when Daniel told her about the conversation he had with her father. Jacob had already made it clear what he thought about Daniel and Sam being a couple.

"I, um . . . thought it wouldn't be a good idea." He hadn't wanted Sam to think that he was hinting that they should get married, even though it was something he thought about sometimes. The idea of being married to Sam filled Daniel with joy. He wanted that very much, but it was way too soon to be considering it. His first marriage happened far too quickly and without all the steps that are supposed to lead up to it. He didn't want it to be that way with Sam. It was also too soon to be considering moving in together.

"I have to admit that the thought of you living with me in my house is something I really like. . . ."

"But it's too soon," Sam finished.

"Yeah. I think we need to take things slowly." Daniel noticed the smirk on his lover's face and also smiled. "Okay, so we haven't taken it slow since we started dating, but I couldn't help myself. You're too irresistible."

Sam gave him a kiss. "Ditto."

Daniel grew serious again. "I just don't want us to rush into everything."

"I agree. Moving in together is a big step, and we shouldn't be hasty about it."

Daniel nodded. He didn't tell Sam that, deep down inside, he wanted the day she moved into the house with him to also be the day they got married. He'd never been a big fan of just living together with a woman. It lacked the level of commitment that came with marriage, and he wanted that commitment with Sam. He wanted a family.

The couple fell silent again and resumed their walk. At one point, they both froze at the sight of a young doe off in the trees. The deer stood utterly still, watching them with luminous brown eyes, then trotted away.

"I sometimes forget this," Sam said.

"What?"

"The beauty, the wonders that are here on Earth. We spend so much time battling evil and fighting for our lives on other worlds that it's easy to lose sight of the beautiful things in life."

"I know what you mean. When, day after day, all you see is ugliness and death, stuff like this seems very far away and almost unreal." Daniel turned around and took her into his arms. "But you know what? It doesn't feel that way to me anymore, not now that I have you."

Thinking that was one of the loveliest things anyone had ever said to her, Sam brought her lips to Daniel's in a long, slow kiss.

The kiss was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Daniel and Sam turned to see the president standing a few yards away, some Secret Service men several feet behind him.

"Oops," Daniel murmured.

He and Sam drew apart self-consciously.

"Nice day for a walk, isn't it?" Hayes observed.

"Um . . . yes, sir, it is," Sam answered.

The president walked toward them, then continued right on past. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Have fun."

Their mouths ajar, Daniel and Sam watched Hayes and his bodyguards walk away down the path.

"Um . . . okay. That wasn't exactly the reaction I'd have expected," Daniel said.

"Me neither. It didn't seem to bother him at all."

"I guess he doesn't have a problem with teammates being involved as long as one of them is a civilian."

"I guess not. That's certainly a good thing."

"Yes, it's very nice to know that we have the approval of the President of the United States." Daniel grinned. "So he probably wouldn't care about us doing the wild thing in the hot tub."

Sam laughed. "You're incorrigible." She remembered something. "So, how come you didn't sense them?"

"I don't know. I don't always sense everyone, especially people I'm not really familiar with. People pass by my office all day long, and I don't sense every one of them. Even those I do are just . . . background noise. It's only when someone I know well, like Janet, Jack and Teal'c, that I can usually sense their presence the moment they're close enough, that is unless I'm distracted."

"And me?"

Daniel looked at her. "It used to be the same with you as it was with Jack and Teal'c, but, ever since we first made love, I've been able to sense you from much further away. That first day back at work I felt you when you pulled into the parking lot. And . . . sometimes, I can sense your emotions, too. Not always, usually just when they're strong."

"Wow. So, you think it has to do with the . . . sharing thing?"

"That would be my guess."

Sam was quiet for a few seconds. "I wish it worked both ways. I wish I could feel you, too."

Daniel hugged her close. "So do I." He smiled. "Hey, maybe I can teach you some new biofeedback techniques one of these days, and you can tap into _your_ psychic abilities."

Sam brought her lips up to his. "Mmm. Now wouldn't _that_ make for some interesting bedroom activities."

Daniel grinned. "Yeah. Maybe we'll do the Moonraker thing one of these days after all."

Sam also grinned. "I'm all for zero gravity," she said before taking his lips with hers.

--------------------------------------------------

Later that afternoon, SG-1 got together with Hayes in the recreation room, where the president enjoyed watching Sam demonstrate her proficiency with a pool cue.

"So, anyone here play chess?" Hayes asked.

"The answer to that all depends on how good you are, sir," Jack replied.

"Oh?"

"If you're a good player, I'm your man. If you're a brilliant player, Daniel's the guy you want to go up against."

The president turned to the archeologist. "A chess master on top of everything else?"

"Not even close, sir," Daniel replied. "I can hold my own in a game, but I wouldn't win any tournaments."

"I've been playing against him for seven years, and I have yet to win a game," Jack informed Hayes. "Of course, if I'd known in the beginning that he started playing when he was five years old, I wouldn't have even bothered trying."

Daniel shrugged. "My dad had a set that he always took with him on digs. He taught me how to play."

"Uh huh, and why don't you tell the president how old you were when you started _beating_ your dad."

Daniel blushed faintly. "Um . . . seven."

Hayes laughed and lifted his hands. "You are way beyond my league, Doctor Jackson. I think I'll have a better chance with Colonel O'Neill."

Hayes and Jack enjoyed their game, which lasted almost until dinner. While they played, Teal'c and Sam took turns blasting aliens in an arcade game. Daniel had discovered the library and disappeared into it, which didn't surprise any of his teammates.

Everyone enjoyed dinner, the conversation being lively and friendly. As Hayes looked at the four people seated at the table with him, laughing and talking about ordinary things, it was hard to believe that they traveled to other planets, saving entire civilizations on a regular basis.

After dinner, everyone retired to the lounge to listen to music and talk some more.

"Um, Mister President, I hate asking you a favor, but. . . ." Daniel began.

"Doctor Jackson, I doubt that any favor you asked me would be too much for me to grant," Hayes responded.

Daniel told the president about the trouble he was having with the NID, Sam and Jack adding things here and there.

"And you want me to tell them to back off?" Hayes guessed.

"If you wouldn't mind, sir," Daniel said. "It's getting kind of irritating."

"Consider it done."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

It was ten o'clock when SG-1 returned to their cabin. They were all starting to get tired by then since they'd had to get up so early to catch their flight.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to call it a night," Jack announced.

"I, too, will be retiring, O'Neill," Teal'c answered. "I wish to Kel'no'reem before I sleep."

"Not me," Sam said. "There's no way I'm going to pass up using that hot tub, even if it's just for a few minutes." She looked at Daniel. "Want to join me?"

Daniel would have had to be brain dead to say no, so he didn't.

With a knowing smile, Jack headed up the stairs to the bedrooms. "Just don't stay in too long. You'll want to be well-rested for breakfast with the president."

Daniel and Sam got into swimsuits and entered the tub. They sat back on one of the benches and closed their eyes.

"Mmm. This feels heavenly," Sam murmured.

"Yeah, it does feel good."

The couple fell silent, enjoying the sensation of the hot water bubbling around them.

About five minutes had passed when Sam leaned over and whispered in Daniel's ear. "Still interested in doing the wild thing?"

Daniel's eyes opened and looked at her. "Ah. Changed your mind about that, huh?"

"Well, I figured that if the president didn't have a problem with us kissing at Camp David. . . ."

"Why would he have a problem with us having sex at Camp David?" Daniel finished.

Sam grinned. "Exactly."

"And what about Jack and Teal'c?"

"We'll be quiet."

A second later, Daniel took possession of Sam's lips. The kiss immediately became deep and passionate. Daniel slipped Sam's bathing suit top off and attacked her breasts with lips and hands, making it hard for her to keep from moaning. She pulled his trunks off, and it was Daniel's turn to bite back a few groans as she touched him intimately. He yanked off her bottoms, and she settled upon his lap.

Hands touched and caressed in just the right ways, each of the lovers knowing the best and quickest way to bring the other to full arousal. Minutes later, they were joined, bodies merged into one. The instant they were, Daniel forged their psychic connection, melding their souls as well. They both let out a gasp at the sensation, which never ceased to overwhelm them.

In silence, Daniel and Sam made love with body and spirit, the heat of the water embracing their forms as they moved in perfect rhythm. As their climaxes hit them, Daniel pulled Sam's lips down to hers, their outcries swallowed by each other's mouths.

Basking in the afterglow, the lovers remained where they were, foreheads pressed together, bodies still joined.

"I think making love in a Camp David hot tub is now on my list of top ten things I like to do," Daniel said at last. "Maybe I should get one of these things for my place. It wouldn't be Camp David, but. . . ."

"It'll do."

The couple grinned into each other's eyes, then separated and fetched their swimsuits, which were floating and bobbing in the water. They got out of the tub, dried off, and slipped into robes, figuring that there was no point in getting dressed. The bathing suits were laid out to dry on the edge of the tub.

Clothes in hand, Daniel and Sam headed up to their bedroom and got dressed for bed. Crawling under the covers, they went into each other's arms.

"I love you," Sam whispered.

"I love you, too," Daniel whispered back.

Laying her head on Daniel's chest, Sam closed her eyes. Moments later, she was asleep. Daniel watched her sleep for a few minutes before he, too, drifted away.

--------------------------------------------------

With a sharp gasp, Daniel's eyes flew open. He sat up halfway, chest heaving.

Awakened, Sam sat up. "Daniel, what is it? Did you have a nightmare?"

"No. No, it wasn't a nightmare." Daniel looked at her. "Something's wrong, Sam."

"You had a vision?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't make heads nor tails of it. But something is definitely up. I can sense it."

"And you have no idea what it is?"

"No. All I know is that there's some kind of danger."

"Maybe we'd better get the colonel."

"There's no point, Sam. I don't know what I'm being warned about. It could be something back at the SGC or maybe not even on Earth."

"If something big was happening at the SGC right now, they'd call us."

"If they could."

Sam got her cell phone and called the SGC control room. The man who answered said that everything was quiet.

"Okay, so nothing's happening there," she said as she hung up. "I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens."

"When we get back to the SGC, I'll try to see something more."

Daniel and Sam laid back down. The archeologist stared into the darkness, his sixth sense sending a constant tingle of warning through him. He didn't know what it was warning him of, but, whatever it was, he had a feeling it was going to happen soon.


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Benedict entered his hotel room. Making sure the Do Not Disturb sign was in place on the door, he shut and locked it, then went to the closet. He placed inside it a large backpack, which contained a parachute.

The HALO jump from the plane had gone perfectly. Flying at thirty thousand feet, the small jet was too far up for anyone on the ground to notice. The owner of the plane was someone Benedict had worked with before, a man who didn't care what he was being paid for just as long as he was paid well.

A veteran of hundreds of jumps, it was a simple thing for Benedict to land in the night-dark forests of Catoctin Mountain Park well within the boundaries of Camp David, yet not so close that one of the guards on patrol would hear him. He had then made his way to the location that the information he got told him would be the best place to set up. The weapon had quickly been set up within the branches of an evergreen, which concealed it perfectly.

Getting out of the area unseen had proven to be the hardest part, though, with an area that large, it was impossible to patrol every foot of it. He had then hiked several miles to where he left his car.

Fetching a large suitcase from the closet, Benedict took it to the bed and opened it. The next few minutes were spent setting everything up. Few people would have any idea what the equipment he was assembling could do. Fewer still would realize that it would enable Benedict to kill a man who was presently in a mountain lodge seventy-five miles away. When President Henry Hayes and the unknown second man died at 8 a.m. this morning, their assassin wouldn't be anywhere near them. By the time the Secret Service and other personnel stationed at Camp David realized the truth, Benedict would be long gone.

--------------------------------------------------

Sleep had not returned quickly to Daniel. He had lain awake for three hours before his tiredness finally dragged him back into the arms of Morpheus. The moment he woke up, his "spidey sense" began tingling like crazy, loudly and clearly telling him that something was very wrong. Sam woke up only a couple of minutes later and could immediately tell that Daniel's sixth sense was still warning him about something. After showering and getting dressed, they went downstairs to find that Jack and Teal'c were already up.

The colonel was just about to ask them how they enjoyed their evening in the hot tub when he caught sight of Daniel's expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know," the archeologist replied.

"He had a vision last night, but he couldn't tell what it was about," Sam explained.

"Something's going to happen, and I don't know what it is."

"Crap," Jack cursed. "Can't the galaxy take a few days off every now and then? Is it trouble here on Earth or out there?"

"I have no idea. All I know is that it's going to happen very soon."

"Soon? How soon? Like in five days, five hours, or five minutes?"

Daniel thought about it. "I don't think it's going to be in five minutes."

"So, maybe we can at least eat breakfast before we have to save the world again."

When SG-1 joined Hayes for the morning meal, he could tell that something was wrong. He questioned them about it, and Daniel explained his feeling.

"So, this thing you call a sixth sense, it doesn't always tell you exactly what's wrong?" the president asked.

"No, it usually doesn't. It's just an awareness of danger or something being wrong. Most of the time, it's only at the last instant that I suddenly know what the danger is, sometimes too late to do anything to stop it from happening."

"But you've seen visions of the future, and they've shown what was going on."

"Some of them have, others have been too vague or mixed up to be able to figure out what they were showing me. The dream I had last night was like that."

"It sounds like it would be very frustrating."

"Believe me, it is," Daniel responded. "I can control fire with perfect precision and can psychically catch an egg tossed in the air without breaking it, but, when it comes to this, I have little control."

"Well, whatever it is that your sixth sense is warning you about, I hope you figure it out in time to stop it."

The remainder of breakfast was eaten mostly in silence, none of the members of SG-1 in the mood for small talk. After the meal, they all gathered in the foyer. It was time to leave. Their luggage was already packed and sitting on the helicopter.

Hayes shook the hand of each of them.

"It's been a pleasure having you here," he said. "We'll have to do this again sometime."

"We'd like that, Mister President," Jack responded. "Maybe we can come in the summer next time. I'd like to check out the fishing in the area."

Hayes smiled. "I'm not a huge fan of the sport, but I have done a bit of it in my day."

"Well, maybe we can go fishing together someday, sir," Jack suggested.

"Maybe we can."

Hayes went with SG-1 outside. "Give my regards to George," he said. "I'll have to get him up here one of these days."

"We'll do that, sir," Jack assured him.

The members of SG-1 were turning away when Daniel was hit with a sudden and violent warning that flashed through his mind like a lightning strike. With a cry of warning, he dove for the president. At the same instant, the sound of a rifle shattered the morning stillness. Throwing his body in front of Hayes, Daniel knocked him to the ground as three shots rang out.

Doing what they were trained to do, the Secret Service men created a human barricade around the president, protecting him with their own bodies. Others pulled their weapons, eyes scanning for the shooter. Having no weapons, Jack, Sam and Teal'c had taken cover the best that they could.

Within seconds, navy and marine personnel were out into the woods to hunt down the person that had attempted to kill the president. Someone radioed the helicopter that had been waiting for SG-1, and it lifted into the air to begin an aerial search.

While all this was going on, the group around the president and Daniel drew back far enough for two agents to check on the men.

"Mister President! Are you injured?" one of them asked anxiously.

"No, I don't think so," Hayes answered, "though my back's gonna hate me tomorrow morning." He looked at the man who was lying next to him. "Are you all right, Doctor Jackson?"

"Mostly." Daniel rolled onto his back, and everyone saw that there was blood on his left arm.

"We need a medic!" yelled one of the Secret Service agents.

Upon hearing the cry, the other three members of SG-1 rushed over.

"Let us through!" Jack demanded. He, Sam and Teal'c pushed their way to the center of the protective circle.

"Damn," Jack cursed upon seeing the blood on Daniel.

"I guess we all know what the warning was about, huh," the archeologist said, grimacing as he clutched at his wounded arm.

"We need to get them inside," one of the Secret Service men said.

Keeping him covered, the men got the president inside to safety. Daniel was then gently helped inside and to a couch. His jacket was removed and his shirt pulled back to reveal the bullet wound, which was in the upper arm, just below his shoulder. There was both an entrance and exit wound, meaning that the bullet went straight through. Someone brought a towel over, which Jack used to staunch the flow of blood.

"I'd say this definitely proves I'm not Superman," Daniel said. "The bullet didn't bounce." He looked up at the president. "Are you all right, sir?"

"I'm fine, Daniel, thanks to you. You saved my life." Hayes smiled. "If you ever get tired of the SGC, I'd be delighted to make you my personal bodyguard."

"No thanks. It's too dangerous."

The president let out a chuckle.

A navy lieutenant came running up with a medical bag. He examined Daniel's arm, then cleaned and bandaged the wound, giving him some antibiotics and pain medication.

"The wound looks clean," he announced, "but he should still go to the hospital."

"I'll have my helicopter take him," the president.

"No," Daniel said. "I think I should stay here. You may need my help."

"You should go to the hospital, Daniel," Sam told him.

"Janet can take care of it when we get home."

Jack frowned at him. "Daniel, stop being so pig-headed."

"Jack, I have my reasons for staying, and, unless the president wants to tell everyone in this room about the program, I can't go into them here."

The other three members of SG-1 looked at each other, then at the president.

"We can go into the lounge," Hayes said. He turned to one of his men. "Go get Doctor Jackson a clean shirt."

"Sir, the White House needs to be informed of the assassination attempt," another man said.

Hayes met Daniel's eyes and clearly saw in them a message that he should wait on making that call. "Let's hold off on that a bit longer, Colonel Parks. I'll make the call myself in a bit."

A T-shirt was brought to Daniel. With some help from Sam, he put it on, trying to hide how much it hurt to do so. Apparently, he wasn't as good at hiding the pain as he'd hoped, because both she and Jack were frowning at him severely, clearly not happy at his refusal to go to the hospital.

The medic put Daniel's arm in a sling, then SG-1 and the president went into the lounge. Sam insisted that Daniel sit down. She settled on the couch beside him.

"Okay, so what's going on?" Jack asked him.

"They're not going to find the hit man out there," he replied.

"You mean he got away?"

"No, I mean he wasn't here at all, not when the shots were fired."

"How is that possible?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure that I'm right. Some of the things I saw in my dream are making sense now."

"The gun must have been fired by remote control, then."

Jack turned to the president. "Sir, you need to have your men look for the weapon. It'll be on some kind of stand and most likely hidden by foliage. And be sure to tell them not to touch it."

Hayes went out to relay the instructions, then came back in.

"You know, every president is aware of the danger of assassination," he said, "but I wasn't quite expecting it only a month into my term. I guess it didn't take me long to piss somebody off."

"There's more to it than that," Daniel said. "There's something somebody wants, and you're standing in the way . . . and I think we can all guess what that something is."

"The Stargate Program," the other three members of SG-1 said in unison.

"You think the program is the reason for this?" Hayes asked, sitting in a chair.

"Oh, yeah," Jack replied, "and I'm betting that rogue NID group is behind it." He met the president's eyes. "I'd also bet that a certain someone else is involved."

The president immediately knew to whom he was referring. "If that's true, Colonel, he _will_ be brought to justice."

"If the weapon is found, I might be able to get an ID on the assassin," Daniel said.

"You can do that, too?" Hayes asked in surprised.

The archeologist nodded. "It's how I found out who tried to have me killed." He then realized what he had just revealed. "Oh. Um. . . ."

"It's all right, Doctor Jackson. I already know."

"You do?"

"Yes. Someone we both know told me."

Daniel was pretty sure he knew who that someone was.

"Forgive me for asking, sir, but if you've known all this time, why haven't you done something?" Sam asked.

"Because there is no proof and because there's the issue of the program's secrecy. I assure you, Major, that I was just biding my time, waiting for the opportunity to do something about it."

"If our assumptions are correct, I believe that you will no longer be able to bide your time," Teal'c stated.

"I'm afraid you're right, Teal'c," Hayes admitted.

"Sir, I'd like to call General Hammond and let him know what's happened," Jack said.

"Of course."

The colonel walked away to the far side of the room and pulled out his cell phone.

"How's your arm?" Sam asked Daniel.

"I've had worse, a _lot_ worse, actually. On my scale of injuries, this barely even registers."

Hayes smiled slightly. "Yeah, but it still hurts like hell, doesn't it."

Daniel paused. "Um . . . yeah," he admitted reluctantly.

Jack returned a few minutes later. "Hammond agrees with us about who's behind this." He looked at Daniel. "And you're going to have hell to pay with Fraiser when we get back to the base. She happened to be in Hammond's office when I called and was not pleased that you refused to go to the hospital."

"Why did you have to tell her?" Daniel whined.

"Hey, the doc asked if anyone was hurt, and, when I told her about you getting shot, she asked if you were taken to a hospital. I couldn't very well lie to her."

"Great," Daniel grumbled. "Just what I need." He looked at the president. "Is it too late to take you up on your job offer?"

Hayes let out a laugh. "I've learned from experience, Daniel, that ticking off your doctor is not a wise thing to do. Just do whatever they tell you to, and, if you have to go against their orders, don't let them find out."

Smirking, Jack opened his mouth to say something, but Daniel pointed a finger at him, glaring.

"No remarks from the peanut gallery!" the archeologist said. "Besides, it's not like you're a shining example of listening to doctor's orders. Need I remind you about the time you were told to stay in bed, but didn't listen and had to be picked up off the floor by Teal'c?"

"How'd you know about that?!" Jack exclaimed. "You weren't even there."

Daniel smiled. "Oh, yes, I was. You just couldn't see me. I was out of phase, remember?"

Jack looked suitably embarrassed. "Oh."

Hayes shook his head in amusement. He was really becoming quite fond of these people.

Daniel's expression turned thoughtful. He looked down at his arm. "Maybe I won't have to suffer her wrath after all," he murmured. "Sam, take off the bandages."

Guessing immediately what he was planning on doing, the major complied.

Once the wound was uncovered, Daniel examined it. It was still bleeding and looked pretty ugly, but it was not serious.

Focusing his mind upon the injury, the archeologist closed his eyes, turning his healing ability upon his own body. Everyone watched as the wound closed and healed right before their eyes. In a matter of seconds, it was gone.

"Holy cow," Hayes murmured in awe. Even though he already knew that Daniel could do this, it was still incredible to see it happen.

Daniel's eye open. "That was a little harder than the cut on Sam's hand."

Sam got some napkins from the bar and wiped away the blood. Both the entrance and exit wounds were completely gone.

"Okay, so maybe you won't get stuck with the big needles after all," Jack said, happy to see that Daniel could, indeed, heal himself. This would definitely come in handy in the future.

"That's the plan," Daniel responded. "We'd better put the bandages back on, though. Otherwise, a few people out there are going to get a big surprise."

Sam wrapped his arm back up, and he put the sling on.

"Um, I suppose it's too much to hope that my coat can be salvaged," Daniel guessed.

"Not unless you can do the same thing to it," the president replied.

"Afraid not."

"Then I'd say we'll have to find you one to wear."

There was a knock on the door, and a marine entered with the news that the hit man had not been found, but that they were still looking for the weapon.

"That reminds me," Daniel said after the man was gone. "Someone needs to reschedule our trip back. I don't think we're going to be making our flight."

Sam looked at her C.O. "Any idea when we'll be heading back to Colorado, Colonel?"

"What are your plans, sir?" Jack asked the president.

"I intend to return to the White House once they've found that weapon and the forensics boys and Doctor Jackson have a chance to look at it."

Jack nodded and turned back to Sam. "Schedule a flight for this afternoon, Carter."

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes after the flight was rescheduled, someone came in to tell them that the weapon had been found. A forensics team was already on their way and would be there within a few minutes.

"Okay, Daniel. Let's see if you can find out who the guy is," Jack said.

"Good luck, Doctor Jackson," Hayes said, "though I'm guessing that you don't really need it, not for this."

"Thank you, sir."

Daniel and his teammates left the lounge, intent on finding the identity of a killer.

--------------------------------------------------

Robert Kinsey was having a hard time keeping himself from pacing. It was important that he not look nervous or tense. But why was it taking so long for the phone call? The assassination was supposed to be done at eight o'clock, which was when SG-1 was planning on leaving to catch their flight. Within moments of the president's death, the vice president should have been called, but there hadn't been one word from Camp David.

Just then, the phone rang.

"It's about time," Kinsey muttered. He picked up the receiver, preparing to sound shocked and horrified at the news of the president's death. Shocked and horrified were definitely the emotions he felt upon hearing the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Bob," said Hayes. "There's been a bit of an incident here. Someone tried to shoot me."

It took Kinsey several seconds to regain his composure. "That's distressing news, Mister President. Any idea who it was?"

"We don't know who the shooter was yet, but we're working on it."

"Was . . . anyone hurt?"

"There was an injury, but everybody's fine."

Kinsey started mentally cursing up a blue streak. Not only had the assassin not gotten Hayes, he didn't get Jackson either. The incompetent idiot!

"Needless to say, I'll be coming back to the White House sooner than planned," Hayes said.

"Of course, sir. Do you want me to inform everyone about what happened?"

"You can pass on the news to the staff there, but I'll take care of everyone else."

After hanging up the phone, Kinsey leapt from his chair and went to the window, fighting not to scream in frustration. Every plan, every step taken to get control of the Stargate had failed or been thwarted, and, almost every time, one or more of SG-1 had been to blame. Kinsey had no doubt that such was the case this time, too. In fact, he was positive that Jackson was the one who screwed things up this time. Those damn abilities of his. If the people in the organization had just listened to him in the first place, Jackson would have been dead long ago, and they'd now have control of the Stargate.

Angrily, Kinsey logged onto his computer and got online. He opened the Webmail service he used for all correspondence with his contacts in the organization and for other less than legal business dealings. He began composing an email to the assassin.

_"What the hell happened?"_ he wrote. _"Not only didn't you get the president, you also missed the second target. I want an explanation." _

Kinsey sent off the email. He then deleted the copy of it from his Sent box and emptied the Trash folder. After logging off, he went to his browser history and erased the visit to the Webmail service from it. The final thing he did was clear his cookies. These were all things he had learned to do after Colonel Maybourne got into his computer and found all the proof anyone would need that Kinsey was working with the NID.

That thought brought another one to Kinsey's mind, one that sent fear rushing through him. What if they figured out that he was involved in the assassination attempt? He'd covered his tracks, but that wouldn't stop Jackson from using his abilities. Would it be possible for the archeologist to divine something?

Kinsey recalled what happened when _he_ was almost assassinated. The people behind it framed Jack O'Neill for the shooting. Something like that could be done again. Perhaps they could frame General Hammond as the person who hired the hit man. Some might question why Hammond would want the president dead, but evidence could be planted giving a motive. And this would succeed in getting Hammond out of the SGC. Kinsey would just have to convince Hayes that, because of his friendship with the general, O'Neill could not be trusted to take over command.

Convinced that this would be the perfect solution, Kinsey called his contact.

"The attempt failed," he said.

"How?"

"I don't know. The president didn't tell me any details. We need to do some damage control. I think it would be best to frame someone for the attempted assassination."

"For what purpose? We were careful not to reveal who we were to the hit man, and I'm seriously hoping that you did, too."

"Yes, I was careful. He has no idea who I am."

"Then what would be the point in framing someone? There's the danger that a frame-up could lead a smart investigator right to us."

Kinsey realized that he couldn't tell them about his fears of Jackson finding out the truth. They didn't know that the archeologist was there, so they weren't aware of the danger.

"I think that this could be another opportunity to get rid of Hammond," he said instead. "Frame him for it."

"General Hammond would have no motive to kill Hayes, and anything we contrived would be too flimsy. Besides, if we involve Hammond in this, we'd also involve Doctor Jackson, and, considering his abilities, that would not be smart."

Kinsey couldn't help but see the irony in the man's statement.

"It would be best just to leave things alone unless we have no choice but to take action," the man stated. "We will contact the hit man to find out what went wrong."

"I've already done so. I should be getting a reply from him within a few hours."

"Let us know what he says."

Kinsey disconnected the call, not knowing what he should do. If Jackson saw something that revealed his part in the assassination attempt, all he could do was deny it and say that the archeologist was lying and trying to frame him. After all, claims of a psychic vision was not hard evidence.

Knowing that there was nothing more he could do, Kinsey left the office to play the part of the outraged and concerned vice president.


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The rifle had been found sitting several feet up in a pine tree. A member of the forensics team scaled the tree to examine everything for fingerprints and other trace evidence, but nothing was found. The stuff would all be taken to the lab for closer examination.

Daniel and the rest of SG-1 were waiting as the rifle and the device it was mounted on were lowered to the ground. Sam took a close look at them.

"Well, there's the camera and the transmitter for sending the video feed to the monitoring equipment," she said.

"What's that thing it's mounted on?" Jack asked.

Sam studied it closely. "I'm not sure, sir, but, if I had to make a guess, I'd say it's a remotely controlled arm used for aiming the rifle. It makes sense. Firing a gun remotely, you couldn't always count on your target stepping into the rifle's line of fire. You'd have to have a way to move the weapon."

"So, he used the video feed to show him where the president was, then aimed the rifle with that thing. The video feed probably has targeting crosshairs, like a scope."

"Most likely. This is quite a set-up, sir, something I'd imagine our government developing."

"For all we know, they did. So, what this means is that the shooter could have been anywhere."

Sam shook her head. "The range on that transmitter is limited. I'd guess that he was probably in DC somewhere."

"Since he failed to get his target he may still be there." Jack looked at Daniel. "So, you ready to do your thing?"

Daniel nodded. Not wanting to get his fingerprints on the rifle, he asked Sam to put a latex glove on the hand of the arm that wasn't in a sling. He then touched the weapon and closed his eyes. Images flashed through his mind of a brown-eyed man in his mid to late fifties. He saw a jet, someone jumping out of it, and then the parachutist landing in a forest at night.

As the images faded away, Daniel opened his eyes. "He parachuted in. He was wearing night vision goggles and something that looked like an oxygen mask."

"HALO jump," Jack said. "High Altitude Low Opening. You jump from a very high altitude, then wait until you're close to the ground before opening your chute. It's a tactic used a lot in the military. I get the distinct feeling that our shooter is military-trained."

"Parachuting in would make sense," Sam remarked. "Weighed down with all that equipment, it would be difficult to get here by foot, especially with all the security measures in place around the area."

"I think this confirms our suspicions about who was involved in this. The assassin _had_ to have inside information. He knew right where to go for the best place to set this weapon up." Jack turned back to Daniel. "See anything else?"

"I know what he looks like."

"Sweet. We'll hook you up with a sketch artist. I suppose you didn't get a name."

"No, afraid not."

"Well, this is a lot more than we would have had without you. We need to find out what planes were flying in this area last night. I'm guessing it was last night that this was set up."

Daniel nodded. "And I can probably tell you exactly when."

"When you had the dream?" Sam guessed.

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's go back to the lodge and fill in the president," Jack said.

It turned out that one of the navy personnel stationed there had some art training, so they didn't have to wait for a sketch artist to be brought in. With Daniel's precise description of the hit man, they were able to create a good sketch of the man. The archeologist also gave them the man's coloring and his approximate height, weight, and age.

Hayes shook the archeologist's hand. "Thank you, Doctor Jackson. Not only did you save my life, the information you've given us may enable us to catch the assassin."

"I'm glad I could help, sir."

"Well, I have to get back to DC, and I believe you four have a flight home to catch." Hayes smiled. "I have to say that this was probably the most memorable weekend I'll ever spend here."

"It was quite the weekend for us, too, sir," Jack said.

Hayes said goodbye to SG-1. With an army of Secret Service surrounding him, he got into his helicopter and flew off. A short while later, he was back at the White House. The second he walked in the door, he was besieged by a dozen staff members, every one of them asking if he was all right and wanting to know what information there was about the assassination attempt. Hayes told them that he was fine, and they'd be filled in as soon as possible. The president then went to the Oval Office, where he was joined a short while later by the vice president.

"I'm relieved that you're all right, Mister President," Kinsey said. If Hayes hadn't known better, he'd almost believe that the man was being truthful.

"So am I, Bob. I wouldn't be if it wasn't for Doctor Jackson. He sensed the danger just in the nick of time and pushed me out of the way. Hit got hit by a bullet that was meant for me."

Hope blossomed within Kinsey. Maybe there was a chance that the archeologist would die after all. "Is it serious?"

"No, he was hit in the arm. But, even if it had been serious, he'd probably have been okay. He healed himself right in front of my eyes. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

Kinsey blinked in shock. "Healed himself?"

"Oh, that's right. You haven't read that report, have you. It seems that Doctor Jackson has the ability to heal injuries in himself and others, a little something left over from the download of all that Ancient knowledge."

The news that Jackson had yet another psychic ability did not go over well with Kinsey, though he tried his best to hide it.

"Also thanks to Doctor Jackson, we have a description of the shooter and know how he got into Camp David."

Kinsey was starting to get really nervous. "Any idea on who hired him?"

Hayes studied the vice president closely. He and SG-1 had agreed that it would be best if Kinsey didn't know that he was under suspicion, at least not yet.

"Not yet, but with what we have, we just might be able to figure this out and catch the ones responsible," the president replied.

Kinsey relaxed. He knew that, even if they caught the assassin, there would be no tracks leading back to him. If things started heating up, he would have to get rid of the cell phone, but he would hold off on doing that. Right now, he needed to keep in touch with his contacts, and he wouldn't have the opportunity to set up another cell phone number registered under a fake identity. Things around here were going to be touchy for the next few weeks.

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Benedict stared in shock at the news report of the assassination attempt. The sketch of a face was being shown, the man identified as the possible assassin. It was his face. How could anyone have identified him? Not a soul had seen him at Camp David or anywhere near there.

Benedict was now very grateful that, years ago, he'd chosen to have plastic surgery so that he could not be identified through his military record.

Knowing that if the motel clerk was watching the news, he might be identified, Benedict quickly packed up and left, leaving the key for the room on the dresser. Fortunately, he had already wiped down everything, so there was no danger of leaving fingerprints behind. As for DNA, no one would be able to ID him from his DNA since he had no criminal record, and his military career was from before they began keeping DNA records.

As he drove away from the motel, the assassin began wishing that he'd left the country as originally planned. Whenever a hit was successful, he always left the country immediately, if possible, but when the hit was not successful, he would stay until he received further instructions from the person who hired him, as long as it wasn't too dangerous to do so. Since he had believed he was safe, he had chosen to stay. Now, everything had changed.

Benedict stopped at a gas station and went into the bathroom. There, he proceeded to change his appearance. He put on a fake moustache and beard and blue contact lenses. This would do for now. As soon as he had an opportunity, he would add some latex to his nose and dye the grey out of his hair to change his appearance even more.

The next thing Benedict did was dump the car. There was a chance that someone at the rental agency would remember him. Before getting rid of the vehicle, he thoroughly cleaned it so that no evidence would be left behind. He left the car in an area where it would likely not be noticed for quite a while, then walked to where he could catch a bus. After renting a new car under a different identity, he retrieved his luggage from where he'd stashed it.

Going to an Internet café, Benedict logged on to get his email. He read the angry message asking him what happened. He was displeased by the tone of the message, finding it to be unprofessional. He sent a reply to that email, but also sent an email to the other address he had for the ones who hired him. Now, all he had to do was wait for those who hired him to respond.

--------------------------------------------------

By the time SG-1 got back to Colorado, news of the attempted assassination was all over the radio and TV. The president was scheduled to have a press conference at 7 p.m. Mountain Time, and the team wanted to be sure to watch it.

SG-1 went straight to Hammond's office. The general came forward and laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"You did good, Son," he said softly.

"Thank you, sir."

"Colonel O'Neill said that you were shot in the arm."

Daniel looked down at his left arm. Once they arrived at Dulles, he had removed the sling and the bloody bandages since there was no longer any reason to wear them.

"I was, sir, but I'm fine now."

"He healed himself, General," Jack informed Hammond.

Surprise colored the general's face. "That's good to hear. I'm sure that ability will come in handy in the future."

Jack looked at Daniel, smirking slightly. "There's no doubt of that, sir."

Hammond returned to his seat. "Colonel, you said that you're pretty certain Vice President Kinsey is behind this."

"Yes, sir, him and those rogue NID guys."

"But there is no proof to back this up?"

"I'm afraid not, General," Sam admitted. "Maybe if they catch the hit man, they'll be able to get something from him."

"If Kinsey was an idiot like before, he'll have something on his computer," Jack said.

"But they can't go looking on his computer without revealing that he's a suspect, which the president doesn't want to do yet," Sam stated.

"I'm afraid that this must be left in the hands of the president and the investigators, at least for the present time," Hammond told the teammates. "Consider yourselves off-duty for the rest of the day, SG-1." He looked at Daniel. "Doctor Fraiser is expecting you in the infirmary, Doctor Jackson."

The archeologist let out a groan, which made the others smile. They accompanied him to the infirmary.

When Janet saw him come in without a sling, her frown got even deeper.

"You. Sit," she commanded firmly, pointing at an exam table, her tone making it clear that she was _not_ happy.

"Janet, I--" Daniel began.

"Now."

Daniel hesitated, then went over to the table.

"Take off your shirt," the doctor then ordered.

"Janet, there's no--"

"Save your excuses for later," Janet told him.

The archeologist sighed softly and took off his shirt. Janet stared in puzzlement at the smooth, flawless skin of his arms. She turned to Jack.

"You told me he was shot in the arm."

"He was," the colonel confirmed.

"This is what I was trying to tell you," Daniel said. "I healed myself. The wound's gone."

Surprised, Janet stared at him for a few seconds, then thoroughly examined the place he had been shot. "You're sure that the bullet is not still in there?" the doctor asked.

"There was an exit wound," Sam replied.

"Even so, I'm going to take some x-rays to make sure something wasn't left behind and that no bones were damaged."

The x-rays were clean, no sign of anything that shouldn't be there.

"Everything appears to be all right, but I'm still not happy that you refused to go to the hospital, Daniel," Janet said.

"There were things that I needed to tell the president about the shooting," Daniel explained, "and I also knew that there was a good chance I'd be able to get information about the assassin from the weapon. I decided that catching the person who tried to kill the president was a lot more important than going to the hospital for a gunshot would in the arm that had already been treated by a medic."

Janet met his gaze for a long moment, then let out a sigh. "I guess I can't argue with that. Just don't do it again, or you _will_ be sorry."

"I won't . . . unless I have to."

Janet frowned at him severely, thinking that maybe she could dream up a whole slew of annoying tests to subject Daniel to. And then there were the various vitamin shots and inoculations she could make him suffer through.

The doctor sighed mentally, knowing that she wasn't mean enough to do that to him.

"Can I go home now?" Daniel asked.

"Since there appears to be nothing wrong with you, I see no point in keeping you here," Janet responded. She focused her sharp gaze on Daniel. "But if you have any pain or other symptoms, I want you back in here right away."

SG-1 went to Daniel's house, picking up some dinner on the way. They had just finished eating when the time for the press conference came. Daniel turned on the TV and tuned it to one of the network stations.

There was a brief introduction, then the president came on.

"As you all know, this morning at eight o'clock, an unknown individual attempted to assassinate me. Investigators are now seeking to find the people responsible for this."

After saying a few more words, the president started answering questions from the press, some of which he couldn't answer with complete candidness, such as the one about how they knew what the shooter looked like. Hayes told the press that it was obtained through a source that preferred to remain nameless. He did not say anything about having a suspect for who ordered the hit.

Once the press conference was over, Daniel shut off the TV.

"All I can say is that they'd better find some proof that Kinsey had a hand in this," Jack said. "First, he tries to have Daniel killed, and, now, the president. That man is way too dangerous to be allowed to stay free."

Jack and Teal'c stayed for an hour longer, then left. Not having slept well the previous night, Daniel decided to go to bed early. As he and Sam lay holding each other, a feeling came over the archeologist that this was far from over. Something else was going to be happening, something big.

Getting no premonition of impending danger, Daniel decided not to let the feeling bother him. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and joined Sam in sleep.

--------------------------------------------------

It had been three days since the failed assassination attempt, and Kinsey was in an extremely foul mood. Hayes was pushing forward with his plans to give Daniel Jackson the Medal of Freedom, and there was nothing the vice president could do or say that would change the man's mind. Even if there had been before, there most certainly wouldn't be now, not since Jackson risked his own life to save the president's. Hayes had become one of the archeologist's biggest fans. It was enough to make Kinsey want to scream.

The assassin had replied to the vice president's email with the explanation that he had failed to hit the president because Jackson unexpectedly pushed Hayes down, covering him with his own body. The hit man then revealed that his second shot _did_ hit its target, but not in the intended location. So, the bullet that struck Jackson hadn't been meant for the president after all; it had been the one intended to kill the archeologist. Unfortunately, it failed to do so. Wanting to make sure that the assassin knew that he'd failed twice, Kinsey emailed him back, saying that the second target only received a minor wound.

As soon as he was able to do so, the vice president called his contact and told him that the hit man said he missed because Hayes suddenly bent over at the very moment the shot was taken. This was the story that the president told the press when they asked. Though he wanted to give credit to Jackson for saving his life, it would lead to too many questions about why the archeologist was at Camp David.

When Kinsey asked his contact what they were going to do now, the man said that he would be told about their plans when the time was right.

Since then, Kinsey hadn't had time to do much of anything, not even checking his email for any other messages from the hit man. The investigation was in full swing, and he had to keep a close eye on it to make sure the trail wasn't leading to him or the organization. He did so under the guise of a concerned vice president who wanted to see the perpetrators caught.

Government, military, and criminal records, both in the U.S. and internationally, had been searched for someone matching the assassin's description, but, so far, he hadn't been identified. However, the clerk for a cheap motel in one of the seamier areas of DC had called to report that he recognized the face of the assassin. A team was immediately sent there, but, of course, the assassin was long gone. The forensics team had gone over the room and came away with fingerprints and DNA samples, but it was unlikely that any of the prints belonged to the hit man. He was too professional to leave behind that kind of evidence. None of the prints had been ID'd yet, with the exception of those that belonged to the maid.

Kinsey had wondered why the assassin picked that kind of motel until one of the investigators pointed out that such motels were better for keeping a low profile since the clerks made a habit of not paying much attention to the people who checked in, which was often a man in the company of a prostitute. They were lucky that this one had paid enough attention to recognize the sketch on TV.

Also being sought was a pilot named Job Norris. The investigators had determined that only one plane flying in the area the night before the assassination attempt could have been the one from which the hit man had parachuted. Norris had avoided capture by the team that was sent to arrest him at his home and was now a fugitive.

Today, Kinsey was scheduled to talk to a civil rights organization that was making noises about some of the new policies that the president was hoping to implement. The vice president would rather have cancelled the thing, but Hayes didn't see any reason to do so. After all, it wasn't Kinsey that someone was trying to kill.

The vice president and his retinue of bodyguards entered the auditorium and walked up onto the stage. Kinsey glanced over and saw that his speech notes were in place on the lectern. He always preferred not to step onto a podium with his notes in his hands, so he usually had them placed on the lectern ahead of time.

Taking his seat, the vice president waited to be announced. As far as he was concerned, this was a waste of time. So what if a bunch of civil rights liberals were ticked off that the president had plans they didn't like? The organization wasn't big enough or influential enough to put a stop to anything. Taking the time to try and appease them was not necessary. But the decision was not his to make. Kinsey swore that, someday, he'd be the one making the decisions.

At last, Kinsey was introduced to the crowd. With a smile he tried to make look genuine, the vice president stood and went to the lectern.

He began his speech, which he thought his writer had done a pretty good job of crafting. If the idiots couldn't see reason after he was finished, it would be no fault of his.

Reaching the end of the first page of his speech, Kinsey lifted it to set aside, but froze, the sheet of paper still in his hand. What had been revealed was not the second page of his speech. Instead, it was a short note with only three words on it: "You were warned."

It took only one second for Robert Kinsey to figure out the meaning of the note. In the next second, he realized that he'd made a terrible mistake and his life was in danger.

In the second after that, a single gunshot rang out.

--------------------------------------------------

The four members of SG-1 approached Hammond's office. The general had ordered them to come see him immediately.

"What's up, sir?" Jack asked as soon as they arrived and saw the grave expression of Hammond's face.

"Vice President Kinsey has been assassinated."

"What?!" exclaimed the three human members of the team.

"How?" Daniel asked, stunned.

"He was shot while giving a speech to a civil rights group."

"Forgive me for saying this, sir, but are we sure he's really dead this time?" Jack asked, recalling the last time Kinsey was supposedly assassinated.

"Yes, Colonel. There's no doubt of it. He was hit in the chest and bled to death in front of hundreds of witnesses."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds.

"Did they catch the hit man?" Daniel asked quietly.

"No, and this is the reason why the president contacted me right away. The Secret Service agents with the vice president figured out immediately that the shot came from a control booth above the auditorium. When they got there, they found a set-up similar to the one used in the attempt to kill President Hayes."

"Then this means that the same guy pulled the trigger," Jack concluded.

"Yes, it does," Hammond agreed.

"But why?" Daniel wanted to know. "If Kinsey was in on the attempted assassination of the president, why did the people he's in league with kill him?"

"When they tried to kill him before, it was because they considered him a liability." Jack replied. "I'd guess it was the same reason this time."

"You may be right, Colonel," Hammond said, "although there could be more to it than that. Someone apparently planted a note in the vice president's speech. It said, 'You were warned.'"

"Warned? About what?" Sam asked.

"That is something we don't know." Hammond looked at Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, the president wants you to come to the White House."

"Me? How come?"

"He's hoping that if you touch a few things in Kinsey's office, you might be able to see something that would give us a clue about who these people are and what this is all about."

"Are all of us invited, sir?" Jack asked, not wanting Daniel to go alone.

"Yes, you are, Colonel. The president already figured that you'd want to come with Doctor Jackson."

"So, another lovely commercial flight to DC, huh."

"Not this time. You'll be taking a flight out of Peterson. The president wants you in DC as soon as possible. So, go home, pack an overnight bag, and get to Peterson."

"Yes, sir," the colonel said.

"Oh, there is one more thing. Kinsey managed to say a few things before he died, most of which were pleas for help. But there was one thing that the Secret Service men made particular note of because he said it twice."

"What's that, sir?" Sam asked.

"The Trust."

--------------------------------------------------

Benedict casually packed his bags. There was no need to rush since he knew that no one would be identifying him this time. The disguise he'd worn at the auditorium when he set up the weapon had completely changed his appearance. The description anyone gave would be that of a blond-haired, heavyset man.

The assassin was satisfied by the success of his most recent contract. He was certain that the target was dead. His aim had been true.

He thought about what had happened since sending off those two emails three days ago. The one he'd sent in reply to the question about what went wrong with the hit was responded to with yet another angry message, which didn't surprise him. What _did_ surprise him was the reply to the other email he'd sent at the same time, the one to his original contact. The email had asked what he was talking about when he referred to a second target, making it clear that the person knew nothing about Benedict's instructions to kill that other man. The conversation that followed led the hit man to believe that the person who ordered the second hit had not done so with the approval of all parties involved.

The last email Benedict received told him that there was a new target: the vice president. He was provided with all the information he needed to make the hit. There had been one unusual request, however. His contact had told him to leave a note where Vice President Kinsey would find it and had given explicit instructions that Benedict was not to kill the man until after the note had been read.

That note made Benedict guess that the person who told him to kill that other man had been none other than the vice president. The hit man didn't know the whole story behind it, but it appeared that Vice President Kinsey had wanted the second man dead, but the others didn't. They had apparently warned Kinsey to leave the man alone, and he chose to disobey them. His disobedience cost him his life.

Finishing his packing, Benedict loaded everything into his car. He drove to an alley and dumped all of the equipment into a trash dumpster. He disliked doing it because of the expense involved in replacing it, but it had to be done. He also got rid of anything else that might cause suspicion, including the parachute and his makeup kit. The airport would be crawling with authorities looking for him, and chances are that airport security would be examining more luggage than they normally did. He couldn't take the chance that his would be among the ones opened.

Keeping only his clothes and laptop, Benedict drove to the rental agency and turned in the car. There, he awaited a taxi to take him to the airport.

The taxi driver was one of those idiots who apparently believed that, if he tried his level best to break the sound barrier on the way to the airport, he'd get a bigger tip from his passenger. He was in for a rude awakening. Benedict never tipped.

They were weaving in and out of traffic like a drunken man on a ship caught in a storm when the idiot driver decided to shoot through a light that was just about to turn red. Benedict yelled out a warning, but it was too late. The light turned red when they were still about two car lengths from the intersection, too close for the driver to stop at the speed he was traveling.

Benedict heard the loud blaring of a horn and the sound of squealing brakes. He looked out the window to see a truck heading right toward them.

The sound of breaking glass, crumpling metal and a cry from the taxi driver were the last things John Benedict heard.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Considering that there had been an attempted assassination of the president and a successful assassination of the vice president, it did not surprise SG-1 that they were subjected to an extra thorough search before they were allowed to enter the White House.

"Sorry about the frisking," Hayes apologized. "Everyone around here is kind of paranoid right now."

"That's understandable," Jack said.

The president turned to Daniel. "Thank you for agreeing to come out here. I don't know if it'll do any good, but since the investigators have had no luck finding out who was behind this, I figured it was worth a try to let you have a crack at it. I thought about checking Bob's computer myself, but decided to wait till you got here."

"I hope I can help, sir," Daniel told him.

SG-1 and the president went to Kinsey's office. Figuring it was the best place to start, Daniel went to the desk. He laid his hand upon it and closed his eyes, focusing his ability. Scenes marched though his mind, bits and pieces of the past month of Kinsey's life. Daniel tried to control them, to limit them to what he was seeking, but he was only partially successful. And then a single scene popped into his mind, one that made him gasp and jerk out of the vision.

"Daniel?" Sam inquired. "You okay."

"Um . . . yeah, I guess so, as okay as I could be after hearing someone talk about murdering me."

"What did you see?"

"Kinsey was arguing with someone on a cell phone, insisting that I needed to be killed to prevent me from finding out who they were. From the little I saw, the person he was talking to said no."

"Hmm. _That's_ interesting," Jack said. "So whoever Kinsey was in bed with, they didn't want you dead."

"But that must mean that it was Kinsey alone who arranged that hit on Daniel," Sam reasoned.

"I got another image of him sending someone a text message," Daniel said. "I think it wasn't all that long ago." He looked down at one of the drawers. "It's in there."

"What is?" Jack asked.

"The cell phone."

Jack immediately tried the drawer, but found it locked. "Anybody got a key for this thing?"

"I can get in, sir," Sam told him.

"Um, I'm not up on all the legal stuff, but shouldn't this be done a little more . . . officially?" Daniel asked.

Hayes nodded. "Good thinking, Doctor Jackson. We wouldn't want some slick lawyer to get anyone off because the evidence was thrown out of court."

The president requested that one of the men leading the investigation come to the office. He was presently at the White House, questioning people.

The man, whose name was Philip Harrison, arrived a few minutes later and was introduced to SG-1.

"We have reason to believe that there is evidence in that drawer," Hayes said. "The drawer is locked, but Major Carter here was just about to pick the lock."

"Since this is, technically, your house, Mister President, that shouldn't be a problem," Harrison said.

It didn't take Sam long to get into the drawer. She stood back to let the investigator look inside. He slipped on a pair of latex gloves and picked up the cell phone everyone else already knew was inside.

"May I?" Sam asked. "I already kind of know what we're looking for."

Harrison gave her a pair of gloves, which she put on. He then handed her the phone. She went straight to where the record of sent text messages would be.

"There's a message here telling someone to check their email. It's the last one that was sent." Sam looked at everyone. "It was sent three days before the assassination attempt at Camp David."

All eyes went to the computer.

"He couldn't have been _that_ stupid, could he?" Jack asked. "What am I saying? Of _course_ he could."

They went to the computer, and Sam booted it up. Not surprisingly, a screen came up asking for a password.

"Try Oscar," Jack said, remembering the password Kinsey used last time. Unfortunately, it failed. "Okay, so he wasn't a _complete_ idiot. He changed his password." Jack looked at Hayes. "Any idea what it might be, sir?"

"None, I'm afraid."

"Try Mozart," Daniel said.

Not questioning how he knew the password, Sam tried it and found it to be the right one.

"How did you know that?" Harrison asked.

"Lucky guess," Daniel replied.

Hayes smiled slightly. "Bob's favorite composer was Mozart."

Sam went straight to Kinsey's email client, but found no suspicious email messages in any of the folders, not even the trash.

"Well, if he used this computer, either he deleted all of the messages or he used Webmail," she said.

"Webmail? You mean like Hotmail?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm guessing that's what he did. I don't think that even Kinsey would be dumb enough to send messages to a hit man using an email address that can so easily be traced back to him."

"So, if he used one of those Webmail things, how do we find out which one?"

"With many of the Webmail services, you can easily enter in bogus information so that no one knows who the email address really belongs to. However, when someone creates an email account, the Webmail service records their IP address. We could request the records of all the most popular services and see if any of them have Kinsey's IP address associated with one of the email addresses."

"That could take a while," Harrison said, "although having the request come from the president would speed things up considerably."

"Well, I could always hack into their records," Sam said.

"No, don't. We need to makes sure that anything we find is admissible in court." The investigator turned to Hayes. "With your permission, sir, I'll get busy on this."

"Sure, Phil."

Harrison got the IP address from Sam, then left the room.

"Carter?" Jack said.

"I'm on it, sir." Sam got her laptop. It had almost been confiscated by the men who searched SG-1, but the president had told them to let her keep it.

"Am I correct in assuming that we're not waiting for legal access to those records?" Hayes asked, amused.

"I don't think we should, sir," Jack replied. "We need to jump on this as quickly as possible. But don't worry. No one but us will ever know Carter did this. She's very good at covering her tracks."

Sam got busy hacking into the first Webmail service she chose to try. She was going to try the biggest ones first, then, if that yielded nothing, she'd go on to some of the lesser known ones.

As luck would have it, she struck pay dirt on the second one she tried.

"There it is," she said.

"Okay, now what?" Jack asked.

"Now that we have the email address, we go to the login screen and enter it in. I'm going to assume Kinsey used the same password as he did for his computer."

Sam's assumption proved to be right, and they were soon in Kinsey's mailbox.

"What's this?" Sam murmured.

"Find something?" Jack asked.

"It's a failure notice saying that an email couldn't be delivered. It's possible that the email service for the recipient was temporarily down. This could be a big break for us, especially since I can see that previous emails are quoted in the one that couldn't be delivered." Sam started reading the email, beginning with the earliest dated message at the bottom. After just a few seconds, she let out a gasp. "Oh my God."

"What?" Jack came around to look at what Sam was reading. When he read it himself, he started cursing. "That slimy little snake. And I mean that in the _worse_ possible way."

"What is it?" Daniel asked.

Sam met his eyes. "The president wasn't the only person who was supposed to die last Sunday, Daniel."

It didn't take the archeologist long to figure out who the other target was. "Oh."

Sam's gaze returned to the screen. "Kinsey sent an email to the assassin Sunday morning, demanding an explanation for why the hit man failed to kill both the president and the person he refers to as the second target. The hit man replied a while later with the explanation of how you saved the president." She returned her eyes to Daniel. "He then explained that his second shot did hit the intended target."

Daniel looked at her in surprise. "That bullet was meant for me, not the president?"

"Apparently so, but you can bet that the first bullet had the president's name on it," Jack responded.

"Kinsey sent a response, telling the hit man that you just had a minor wound," Sam said. "He was obviously ticked off and wanted to make sure the assassin knew that he screwed up twice. But the email service the hit man uses must have been down for several hours, and Kinsey was sent a failure notice."

"So, the assassin did not receive the final message from Vice President Kinsey?" Teal'c questioned.

"No, he would have gotten it eventually if the service was down for less than five days. Kinsey received a notice from the Mailer-Daemon that the email address had transient non-fatal errors, which can happen if the mail server you're sending to is temporarily down."

"Mailer demon, Carter?" Jack questioned, eyebrows rising.

"Mailer-Daemon, sir, D-A-E-M-O-N. It's a program in a mail server that delivers messages to recipients. This one tried for four hours to deliver the message before sending the notice to Kinsey and saying that it would keep trying to deliver the email. When the Mailer-Daemon sends such a notice, it includes a copy of the email it's been trying to deliver, which, in this case, luckily for us, had the quotes of the previous messages in it."

"That's why they killed him," Daniel murmured. Everyone turned to him inquiringly. "They didn't want me to be killed, and Kinsey went behind their backs and tried to get rid of me anyway. They must have found out."

Jack almost smiled at the irony. Kinsey had tried to have Daniel killed to protect himself, and his actions resulted in his own death.

"Well, we have the email address of the assassin, which is also a Webmail service, but it probably isn't going to do us much good," Sam told everyone. "I could get the guy's IP address and trace what Internet Service Provider he's using through it, but you can bet that all the info the ISP has is bogus."

"Right now, the assassin is the least of my concerns," Jack said. "He was just doing a job he was hired to do. We need to go after the guys who were in on the attempted assassination of the president."

Sam looked through Kinsey's mailbox. "Well, there are no other emails here. It looks like he cleaned out all the folders, including the Trash. So, we're not going to be able to get the email addresses of anyone else."

"What of the cellular telephone?" Teal'c asked. "Perhaps there is some record of calls Vice President Kinsey made."

Sam nodded. "You're right." She started checking the log of calls made, thankful that Kinsey hadn't deleted it. "There's one phone number here that Kinsey called quite a few times. I can find out who it belongs to." She got back on her laptop and soon had the name and address the number was registered to.

"How much you wanna bet that's fake, too?" Jack said.

Daniel was staring at the phone, a little frown on his face. "I wonder."

Jack looked at him. "What?"

"I was thinking that, if I called that number, maybe I could see the face of the person who answered."

"You've never tried anything like that before," Sam said.

"No, but I already know that I can see people and things that are far away. I saw you when you were stranded on the Prometheus."

"The problem is that, if we call that number, it might alert them to the fact that we're on their trail."

"So, we'll use a payphone and pretend we got a wrong number," Jack suggested. "It's worth a try." He turned to the president. "It's up to you, sir."

"I say go for it," Hayes responded.

"Okay, let's go to a phone outside the DC area, just in case these guys trace where the call came from."

SG-1 was taken to a payphone outside a restaurant in Maryland by the man who had picked them up at the airport. They decided that Sam should be the one to make the call since her voice would be the one they'd be least likely to recognize.

As Sam dialed the number, Daniel focused his abilities on seeing the person who answered the phone. He had his ear pressed against the receiver so that he could hear the person's voice.

The call was answered by a man after the third ring. "Hello?"

"Yeah, is Bert there?" Sam asked in a nasally voice.

"You have the wrong number."

"Oh, sorry. My apologies."

A click on the line told her that the man had hung up. She looked at Daniel, whose eyes were still closed. "Daniel?"

The archeologist's eyes opened. "I've got him."

"Yes!" Jack crowed. "Way to go, Daniel! Come on. Let's get back to the White House."

"Daniel did it, sir," Jack told the president in the Oval Office a while later.

"Excellent. Doctor Jackson, you are a wonder. So, what now?"

"Well, as far as we know, the NID has been clean for a while now, but there are still dozens of ex-agents who are unaccounted for," Sam replied. "We can do a search of the NID database of all former employees who left or disappeared within the last two years. Hopefully, this guy is one of them."

"And if he isn't?" Jack asked.

"Then we can check to see if he has a criminal or military record. If that fails, too, we may have a problem. There's the DMV, but that database is so huge, it would take a very long time to go through it, even using a program that would do the searching for us."

"Then let's hope we don't have to resort to that."

As it turned out, they didn't. Daniel identified the man as Frank March, who had worked for the NID until two months before Agent Barrett began his house cleaning operation there.

"He must have suspected what was going to happen and decided to get out before it did," Sam guessed.

"Okay, if we arrest this guy, he'll probably clam up and never give us the names of any of the people he's working with," Jack said, "so I say we put a tail on him and watch him for the next few days. Tap his phone, bug his house, the works."

"If we can find him," Sam remarked. "He might have gone underground like a lot of the people involved in the rogue operation did."

"Can you check on that?"

Sam got back on the computer and found out that March was living at the same address as when he worked for the NID.

"We need to get something that belongs to him, Jack," Daniel said. "I might be able to see something more."

"Right."

"The question is who can we trust to do this?" Sam wondered. "We really don't know who is involved in this. There could be people in the government, and there's no doubt that there are some in the military."

"There are some people in the intelligence community that I have absolute trust in," Hayes stated.

"People you'd be willing to reveal the Stargate Program to?" Jack questioned. "Whoever does this is liable to find out sooner or later, if they listen in on phone conversations."

"Yes, I would, though a couple of them are going to find it hard to believe."

"Then I guess we all have some work to do."

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The next morning, after Frank March went to work, SG-1 did a little breaking and entering into his house. Actually, no "breaking" was involved. Daniel's teammates found out that he could unlock a deadbolt in three seconds flat--after he told them what the alarm code was.

Once they were inside and the alarm turned off, Jack, Sam and Teal'c got busy planting bugs all over the house and in the phones. Meanwhile, Daniel wandered around the place, touching things. He wasn't getting anything useful, that is until he touched a keycard he found in the desk drawer. He was instantly bombarded with images of people and places. He saw people in a lab manufacturing some kind of blue gas and putting it into clear canisters. He saw others with devices that were clearly of alien origin, and still others with what looked like rockets.

"Guys! I found something!" he called. His teammates came into the room. He held up the keycard. "I think I found the mother lode."

"What did you see?" Jack asked.

"A building with labs of some sort. They were making some kind of gas. It was fluorescent blue."

Sam frowned. "That sounds like it could be Methyl Phosphonofluoridic acid. It's a nerve gas, extremely deadly, kills in seconds."

"Oh, this does not sound good," Jack said. "Who would they be planning to use that gas on?"

"I don't know, but there was a whole lot of it," Daniel told him. "And I saw rockets, too."

"Rockets?" Sam's expression became extremely worried. "Sir, if they detonated rockets filled with that gas over a densely populated area, they could kill hundreds of thousands of people."

"Okay, this just got a whole hell of a lot more serious," Jack said. "Daniel, do you have any idea where this place is?"

The archeologist shook his head. "No."

Sam looked at the card. "There's no insignia or any other information that would tell us where this key is used."

"Then I guess we have no choice but to watch and listen in on this guy for a while and hope that he gives us a clue about where this place is."

"There is another option," Daniel said softly. His teammates turned to him. "I couldn't see where the place was by touching that keycard, but there's a good chance that I could get more from March himself."

"But to do that, we'd have to arrest him, which would reveal to the group that we're on their trail," Sam pointed out. "They might destroy everything and go into hiding."

Jack smiled faintly. "No, there is another way."

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Frank March shut and locked the front door. It had been a long day. It had been necessary to remove all references to Kinsey's involvement in the organization just in case the investigators discovered the vice president's part in the assassination attempt on Hayes. There was now no evidence left that Kinsey was ever involved with them. March could only hope that Kinsey had been smart enough to cover his own tracks.

They didn't know yet what they were going to do to enable their plans to be carried out. With Kinsey dead, assassinating the president would be pointless. Some in the organization had argued against killing the vice president, but he had proven himself to be someone they couldn't trust. He'd deliberately tried to have Daniel Jackson killed even after being warned not to do so. That had shown that they couldn't count on Kinsey doing what they told him to, which could cause more trouble later on. He was a liability that needed to be eliminated.

So, with Kinsey gone, gaining control of the Stargate Program would be next to impossible. The only way left would be to kill Hammond and Colonel O'Neill, then somehow get somebody on their side in command of the SGC. The chances of that working, though, were very slim.

There was still the option of getting hold of Osiris' Al'Kesh. With it, they wouldn't need to have control of the SGC.

After dinner, March did some work on his computer, then decided to go to bed. Within fifteen minutes, he was asleep.

The man's sleep was interrupted rather suddenly two hours later. Strong hands were holding him down, a third slapping his cheek lightly. He looked up to see two familiar faces looking down at him in the darkness.

"Ah. Hello, there," Jack O'Neill said. "Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep." He turned to the man who was holding March down. "Get him up Teal'c."

March was pulled out of the bed and tied to a chair with padded strips of cloth that would leave no marks. He saw Major Carter standing in the corner of the room.

"You won't get anything out of me," March declared.

Jack smiled nastily. "Oh, won't we."

Just then, a fourth figure appeared. Daniel Jackson stepped forward, blue eyes piercing into March's.

"Hello," he said cordially.

_'Oh, shit,'_ March cursed silently. He began to struggle, though he knew it was pointless.

Ignoring his fruitless attempts to escape, Daniel came up to him and touched March's shoulder. The archeologist's eyes closed, and an expression that was somehow both peaceful and intense filled his face. March did not know what Jackson was doing, but he had no doubt that it would lead to SG-1 discovering the secrets of the organization. He also knew something else. Robert Kinsey had been right. They should have killed Doctor Jackson.

Daniel remained unmoving for two or three minutes. Then his eyes opened.

"Well?" Jack inquired.

"I know where it is," Daniel replied. He stared at March coldly. "And a whole lot more."

"You won't get all of us," March declared defiantly. "The moment they find out that I've been compromised, they'll destroy the records and go deep underground."

"Well, now, that might just be true," Jack said, "_if_ they knew you'd been compromised. But they're not gonna know that." He looked over his shoulder. "Carter?"

Sam stepped forward, and March saw that she had a hypodermic in her hand.

"What is that?" March asked, feeling a tiny frisson of fear.

"What _was_ that, you mean," Jack replied. March could now see that the syringe was empty. "You see, we've actually been here for a while. We sprayed you with a wee bit of knockout gas, just enough to keep you out for several minutes. Then we injected you with a nice little drug that will probably be making you pretty sleepy soon. Oh, it also has another effect. You won't remember any of this. All you'll remember is going to bed last night. Oh, and, in case you're wondering, the injection sight is in a place you'll never notice."

March was silent for the few minutes that it took for the drug to put him to sleep. He was untied from the chair and put back in the bed. SG-1 removed all traces of their presence in the house and left. Soon, they were on the road.

"So, what's next, sir?" Sam asked.

"Now, we make use of all the info Daniel got. We watch that facility he saw, and, if it looks like they're going to do something with that gas, we come down on them hard."

"They won't be doing anything with the gas yet, Jack," Daniel said. "They can't."

"What do you mean?"

"It isn't nerve gas. It's symbiote poison." The archeologist's eyes met Teal'c's. "They were planning on releasing it on Goa'uld controlled worlds and killing all the Jaffa."

The former First Prime's jaw tightened, a look of anger in his eyes.

"They must have figured that, if they wiped out the Jaffa, the Goa'uld would be powerless," Sam said, feeling a little sick at the thought of all the Jaffa who would have been murdered, including those in the rebellion.

"This must not be allowed to happen," Teal'c growled, looking like he was ready to rip someone's throat out.

"It won't, T," Jack assured him. "They'd have to have a way to deliver the poison to the planets, which is something they don't have. This explains why they want the Stargate so badly."

"It also explains the attempted theft of Osiris' Al'Kesh," Sam added. "With it, they could have flown to the various worlds, although that would have taken a while."

"I don't think that was their plan, Sam," Daniel said. "I couldn't tell what their exact plans were, but I got the impression that they somehow intended to take the gate."

"Well, whatever their plan was, it's not going to happen," Jack stated. "We've got what we need to stop them."

"I just hope we catch most of them," Sam said. "I have a feeling that this operation is a lot bigger than we thought it was."

"I think you're right, Sam," Daniel agreed. "There is something else I learned, something that explains what Kinsey said before he died. They call themselves The Trust."


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

It turned out that Daniel had gotten quite a bit of information from March, including the identities of several key figures in the organization called The Trust. In addition to the location of the facility he'd seen in his original vision, he'd also learned about a warehouse that The Trust had, plus a couple of smaller places that were primarily used for meeting places.

Over the next three days, the task force assigned to bring down The Trust stayed busy spying upon the members they now had names and addresses for, as well as the locations Daniel had discovered. Wiretaps were made and bugs planted. A spy satellite was placed in a stationary orbit over the main facility, and a van was parked on a low, nearby hill with equipment that was listening in on everything the people in the facility were saying. What they'd heard and recorded was quite interesting.

Sam managed to tap into the facility's Internet connection, which enabled them to read all the information that was being sent and received. Through that connection, she was also able to infiltrate several computers and get data off them.

The information that was gathered over the course of those three days was invaluable. They learned the names of a great many people in The Trust and got a clear picture of what the organization's plans were. They also got all the proof they needed that it was The Trust that ordered the hit on President Hayes and killed Kinsey.

It was the morning of the fourth day that the secret surveillance came to an unexpected end. SG-1 was in the van that was listening in on the main facility when a cell phone inside a room that had been identified as an office rang. It was answered by a man who responded to the caller with short, clipped questions and responses.

"That was Johnson," the man said, apparently to someone else in the room. "He's been compromised. He found a listening device in his house, and the phone has been bugged. We need to assume that the authorities either already know about this place or soon will."

Everyone in the van looked at each other.

"Crap," Jack cursed. "They're going to run. We need to move in on them now!"

Immediately, every member of the task force that was watching the various people and locations connected to The Trust were told to move in on their targets. As that was being done, SG-1 and a large force of men jumped into vehicles and raced down to the facility. They smashed through the security checkpoint and screeched to a stop outside the main entrance.

Before they even made it to the door, they were under fire. They took shelter behind their vehicles.

"Daniel! Can you do something about this?" Jack yelled.

The words were barely out of the colonel's mouth when there was a commotion inside the facility. The enemy fire instantly halted.

SG-1 and the task force rushed to the entrance, taking cover where they could. At the door, Jack peeked in and saw several men sprawled unconscious on the floor, looking like they'd been tossed up against the walls.

"Good job, Daniel," he said. He gave orders to the task force, telling them to separate into groups and sweep through the building.

"Jack, we need to go that way," Daniel said, pointing down one of the hallways.

Not questioning the archeologist's instincts, Jack and the rest of SG-1 went in that direction, Daniel in the lead to clear the way. As they headed down the hall, several people in the complex suddenly opened fire on them. Not a single bullet made it through. His mind focused absolutely upon defending his teammates and stopping the men who were attacking them, Daniel halted the bullets in midair, letting them fall to the floor. It didn't take long for the Trust members to realize what was happening and decide that escape might be the wiser course of action. They never got the chance. Fire roared up at the end of the hallway, blocking their escape route. Trapped between an impassible wall of fire and the man who created it, most of the men and women chose to surrender. Those few who didn't were brought down by SG-1's weapons.

The captured personnel were all put in a room with no exit, and Daniel melted the lock of the door so that they couldn't get out. He and his teammates then continued forward, stopping at every room Daniel sensed had someone inside. With many of the rooms, the archeologist merely repeated the process of melting the lock. For those that had another way out, a zat gun took care of the inhabitants.

At last they reached the room that was Daniel's goal. It was the main lab, and he knew without doubt that five of the most important people in The Trust were there.

Warning his teammates to take cover, Daniel focused his mind upon the locked steel door baring entrance to the room. With a groan of tortured metal, the door buckled and caved inward, ripping from its hinges. As it fell to the floor, the people inside opened up with their weapons. Taking shelter to the right of the door, Daniel psychically looked into the room.

"How many?" Jack asked.

"Twenty-three," Daniel replied.

"Can you handle them all?"

"Yes, but I don't want to toss them about like I did the guys in the lobby. A lot of things could get broken."

"You mean like bones?"

Daniel stared at him. "That wasn't really what I was talking about, but, yeah, that, too." He took a "peek" inside the room again. "How about if I disarm them, and you guys zat them?"

"Works for me."

Daniel's eyes slid shut. Moments later, guns began jerking out of the grasp of the people inside and hurling across the room. Before they could retrieve their weapons, SG-1 came rushing inside, zat guns firing. Eleven people were brought down by the weapons. The remainder held up their hands in surrender.

"Watch them, Daniel," Jack said as he, Sam and Teal'c came forward to bind the prisoners.

Suddenly, one of the men who had been zatted pulled a gun from beneath his pants leg and aimed it at Jack's unprotected back. In the next instant, he cried out in pain and clutched at his hand, the gun falling from his grasp. Jack walked up to him and kicked the gun away, looking at the man's hand, which was now sporting a nasty second degree burn.

The colonel tsked at the man, shaking his head. "You really should have known better than that, you know." He looked at Daniel over his shoulder. "Glad to see you remembered what I said about not melting loaded guns. Melting the hand holding the gun is a lot safer." He turned back to the man. "You're lucky he only blistered you a bit. I've seen what he can do to someone when he's _really_ serious, and it's not pretty," he turned to look at all the other prisoners, "which is something the rest of you might want to keep in mind."

Not surprisingly, no one else tried anything. The hands of the prisoners were bound behind their backs, and they were made to sit on the floor.

"Okay, all the head honchos please raise your hand," Jack said once everyone had regained consciousness. "Oh, that's right. You can't. Okay, just say 'I'." He wasn't surprised that no one said a word. "Cat got your tongue?" The colonel turned to Daniel. "I guess it's up to you."

The archeologist approached the group of men and women. It didn't take him long to find the ones he was seeking. The four men and one woman were separated from the rest.

Just then, a member of the task force came in to say that the facility was secure. Virtually everyone had been captured or killed. More forces were on the way to round up the prisoners and help go through the building.

Leaving the people they captured in the care of two members of the task force, SG-1 went outside to await the arrival of the others.

"We did good," Jack said to his team.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. He was satisfied with how things had turned out, knowing that many of the people who intended to slaughter the Jaffa had been captured.

The colonel looked at Daniel. "The way you stopped those bullets was sweet. How come you didn't do that at Camp David? It would have saved you from getting shot."

"The assassination attempt happened too quickly for me to think of doing anything except push the president out of the way. Besides, I didn't know I could do that. It wasn't until later that I remembered something."

"What?" Sam asked.

"When you guys were taken prisoner by Nirrti, Jack tried to shoot her, but Woden stopped the bullet. I figured that, if _he_ could do it. . . ."

"You could do it." Jack concluded. He smiled. "So, it turns out that you don't have to be the Man of Steel after all. It doesn't matter that the bullets won't bounce if they never hit you in the first place."

"True." Daniel paused. "But it would still be cool to be able to fly."

Jack patted his shoulder. "Give it time."

--------------------------------------------------

Within the next few hours, reports from the various teams came in. The operation had been a success. Only a handful of people were known to have escaped, and all the buildings had been seized. The Trust had been brought to its knees, though everyone knew it was likely that some people involved would never be found.

The next day was a long and busy one for Daniel. Figuring that he might be able to get more information, he turned his abilities upon quite a few people who were captured, just as he had done with Frank March. He found out the identities of still more members of The Trust, plus several people who had ties to them. Among those named were some high-ranking people in the military and government, who were all arrested.

It was from one of the leaders that Daniel learned what The Trust's plans had been regarding Osiris' Al'Kesh. They had intended to steal Earth's Stargate with it and use the gate to send rockets full of symbiote poison to Goa'uld controlled worlds that had a large number of Jaffa on them. He also found out what had been done with the stolen sarcophagus. Their scientists had taken it apart and were studying it in an effort to come up with a technology that could heal without the addictive effects that repeated use of the sarcophagus caused.

SG-1 learned something else that day, something that surprised all of them. The assassin was dead, killed in, of all things, a car accident. The first clue the local police had that something was fishy about the passenger of the taxi that got hit by a dump trump was when they found out that his ID had a bogus name and address. Then, upon examining the body, the medical examiner discovered that the man was wearing a fake beard and mustache, blue contact lenses and latex to change the appearance of his nose. This had sent all kinds of red flags waving. A DNA sample was taken, and it was found to match one of the samples gathered in the motel room the assassin had stayed in when he attempted to kill the president. Though the damage to the man's face made it impossible to ID him that way, this was enough to tell them who he was.

The man's fingerprints identified him as John Benedict. As Jack had suspected, he'd been in the military years ago. Interestingly, the man's photograph did not match the drawing made from Daniel's description. Everyone figured that he must have had plastic surgery sometime after leaving the military. The FBI was now in the process of linking Benedict with several other assassinations that had been committed in the U.S. over the past twelve years, and possibly some in other countries.

After learning all of this, Jack shook his head. "I find it almost funny that, after a dozen years of being an international assassin and all the ways that he could have been killed doing his job, he buys the farm in something as ordinary as a car accident. It just goes to show that the universe definitely has a well-developed sense of irony."

--------------------------------------------------

By the time SG-1 returned to the SGC Tuesday night and gave the general a preliminary debriefing, they were all exhausted from long hours and little sleep, especially Daniel, who spent countless hours getting information from the people who were captured. He was ready to crawl into a nice warm bed and sleep for ten hours straight. Unfortunately, Janet had other ideas. Too tired to argue with her, the archeologist submitted to her tests, only barely managing to stay awake during them.

As it turned out, Daniel was granted his wish of a nice warm bed after all when he fell asleep on one of the beds in the infirmary while awaiting the results of Janet's tests. Smiling down at him, Sam carefully removed his shoes and covered him with a blanket. The doctor came up to her.

"Ah, I see that Sleeping Beauty finally succumbed," Janet said.

"Yeah. He was beat. Actually, so am I. It's been a very long week."

"You should go home, Sam, get some sleep. Daniel's fine. The tests all came out normal."

Sam smiled a little. "Home. I haven't slept in my own bed in two weeks. We usually end up at Daniel's. I've already got a drawer of my own and a section of the closet in his bedroom. I have a toothbrush there, plus shampoo and other stuff. Daniel and I agreed that we shouldn't move in together yet, but we're virtually living together now. I've gotten so used to sharing a bed with him that I don't think I'm going to sleep well by myself. Fortunately, even though we were on duty, the colonel let me and Daniel share a hotel room while we were out of town."

Janet smiled. "You're lucky. When I got married, it took weeks for me to get used to having company in my bed every night. Of course, the fact that my husband snored like a bear with a sinus condition didn't help in that regard. There were times when I was tempted to stick a sock in his mouth."

Sam laughed softly. "Daniel doesn't snore, well, not much, and it's a little snore when he does. Of course, I already knew that from missions. Colonel O'Neill, on the other hand. . . ."

"Ah, yes. I've heard that snore on more than one occasion while he was here. It's not nearly as bad as my ex-husband, though."

"The funny thing is that he doesn't snore on missions. It's as if his training somehow keeps him from making noises even in his sleep that would alert an enemy to our presence. But when he's in a safe environment, like when we're all sacked out at his house, out comes the snore."

Janet's eyes returned to Daniel. "Well, I don't think we should disturb him, so I'm afraid that you'll be sleeping by yourself tonight, that is unless you want to sleep in the bed beside Daniel's."

"No thanks. I spend too much time in an infirmary bed as it is. I'll take my bed at home, thank you very much."

"Well, if he wakes up during the night and is alert enough to drive, I'll send him to your place."

Sam looked at her. "You're staying the night?"

Janet nodded. "Two members of SG-16 were seriously injured on a mission, and I want to keep an eye on them. It's not like it would be the first time I've stayed all night."

"Well, try to get some sleep. Oh, by the way, I'll be going to the Academy hospital tomorrow. I found out just before Kinsey was assassinated that a friend was among the pilots injured during the battle with Anubis. He was one of the 302 pilots. Actually, we owe him our lives. He shot down an Al'Kesh that was heading straight for us. I've known Cam for several years, though we haven't stayed in touch as much as I'd like. He was hurt pretty badly. For quite a while, the doctors didn't think he'd make it, and they're giving low odds that he'll ever walk on his own again."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Sam."

"I just wish I'd known sooner. I would have gone to see him before now. Daniel might go with me. He wants to thank Cam for what he did, and the colonel said something about going to visit him, too." Sam looked at her watch. "Well, I'd better get home." She walked up to the head of Daniel's bed and kissed him softly on the forehead. "Night, Daniel," she whispered.

Wishing Janet a good night, Sam went home. It felt lonely there. Pushing that thought aside, she got dressed for bed and crawled under the covers. For a long time, she stared at the empty place beside her, wishing Daniel was there. This was ridiculous. She should be able to survive one night without him. She'd been sleeping alone for years.

Determined to get some sleep, Sam closed her eyes and eventually drifted off. She didn't know what time it was when a movement of the bed woke her up. Her eyes flew open and met Daniel's blue ones, which were only a few inches away, his head resting on the pillow beside her.

"Hey," he said. "Sorry I woke you."

"No, that's okay. So, I guess you woke up and decided you didn't want to stay in that infirmary."

"Yeah. I got lonely."

Sam smiled. "I was lonely, too."

Daniel pulled her into his arms. It was then that she realized he was naked. Sam smiled against his shoulder.

"I thought you were tired."

"I am. I just wanted to feel you."

"Good idea."

Daniel helped Sam out of her clothes, and they came together, skin against skin. He placed a kiss over her beating heart, then lay his head upon the softness of her breasts, arms wrapped around her waist.

"I love you, Sam," he said. "I want to spend forever with you."

Sam was warmed by his words, which touched her deep inside. But there was something in his tone that bothered her.

"Daniel, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm okay. Janet wouldn't have let me leave if I wasn't."

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm all right, Sam, just tired."

Accepting his words, Sam closed her eyes. She was asleep within moments.

Daniel lay in the dark, holding Sam and listening to her breathe. He hadn't really been truthful with her. Something _was_ wrong. He had awakened abruptly in the infirmary, the images of his dream still vivid in his mind. Someday in the future, something was going to happen that would separate him from Sam. He didn't know what it was, but it terrified him.

Drawing her closer, Daniel closed his eyes, hoping that, whatever the future was going to bring, he'd be able to keep the woman he loved safe.

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Oma wandered through the abandoned temple, the place that had been her home for so many centuries. Weeds now choked the garden, and several climbing plants were festooning the walls of the courtyard. Inside, things did not look all that different, with the exception of the dust on the floor and the lack of fire in the torches. The latter she fixed with a brief thought.

In the newly created light, Oma gazed at the place where she first laid eyes upon Daniel Jackson over four years ago. Much had changed since then, especially for Daniel. What had happened to him and what Oma sensed was yet to happen were things that she could not have foreseen on that day she began guiding him on the path to enlightenment.

Oma sensed the approach of one of the Others and turned to see Shifu coming toward her. The boy, in human form like she was, greeted her.

"I had hoped to find you in this place," he said. "I sensed that you would be here."

"I have not been here since that day Daniel came in search of you."

"You are here because of him," Shifu guessed.

"Yes."

"He has grown very strong. The Others speak of him often."

"I know. Some feel that he is too powerful," Oma said.

"Yet they cannot deny the wisdom he has shown in using the power. He surprises them."

Oma smiled at the comment, knowing that it was true. Some of their fellow Ascended, upon realizing what was happening with Daniel, believed that he would let the power go to his head. She had insisted that wouldn't happen and told them that he would teach them many things, about both humans and the Ascended. And, indeed, he had, though it was a lesson some did not want to learn.

"The path that yet lies ahead of him will not be an easy one," Shifu stated.

"The paths of greatest importance are never easy to travel."

"This is true. Yet I sense that there are obstacles to come that may cause him to fall."

Oma smiled at Shifu. "Daniel has fallen many times in the course of his life, yet he always regains his feet and keeps walking forward, no matter how difficult or how painful."

"Some would say that he ceased to walk forward when he chose to forsake ascension and return to human form."

"Yes, some would, but they are ones who do not understand that, for one such as Daniel, leaving ascension behind and becoming human again was the only way that he could continue forward on his true path. His place was not among us, not then. It is only as a human that he has been able to become what he is now, and it is in the body of a mortal human that he will find the truth about himself, a truth that he already knows, yet cannot see."

"And if he never sees it?" Shifu questioned.

"I cannot teach him what he already knows, but the light of a small candle can sometimes be enough to see the universe."

"And you will light the candle?"

Oma did not reply for a moment. "If, in lighting it, I do not destroy what I seek to bring into sight."

The woman and boy went back outside. The sun had disappeared behind dark clouds, and there was the sound of distant thunder. To the two Ascended Beings, the approaching storm was like a harbinger of things soon to come, and neither of them knew if what lay on the horizon would ultimately bring back the sun or plunge them all into darkness.

To be concluded.

* * *

Well, that's it for Part 6 of this series. There's just one more story to go, What You Already Know: Resolutions, which covers most of Season 8.


End file.
